


Lian Yu

by W01FS0NG



Series: Not Confused, Just Lost [1]
Category: Lost
Genre: #everyone likes Star Wars, #island skills, Benjamin Linus is a jerk, Canon Compliant, Character Death, Fluff, Friend Hurley, Friend Kate, Friend Richard Alpert, Gen, Ghosts, Hurt/Comfort, Length of chapters vary, Locke is sus, Man in Black is confusing on purpose, OFC sees dead people???, Ofc can keep a secret, Ofc is a teenager, Ofc is bilingual, Season/Series 01, Season/Series 02, Season/Series 03, Season/Series 04, Season/Series 05, Season/Series 06, Singing, Slight Canon Divergence, There’s a DC Comics reference somewhere, Time Travel, fear of dead bodies?, first person POV, fishing friend Jin, friend Shannon, lightly LGBTQ, mostly - Freeform, ofc is kind of a bookworm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:06:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 65
Words: 115,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27331663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/W01FS0NG/pseuds/W01FS0NG
Summary: Rachel had already gone through a traumatic experience before going on Oceanic Flight 815. Then the plane crashed. Now? Well, there's forty-something people on this island. Something's bound to happen. And they all need to survive.
Series: Not Confused, Just Lost [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2124930
Comments: 67
Kudos: 9





	1. The Crash

**Author's Note:**

> Lian Yu translates to Purgatory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crash. We get a look into a part of Rachel's life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soo, I've been watching Lost for a while now, and I freaking love it!

When I awoke, I heard shouting. My hand grasped sand. The sun beat down on me with a clear blue sky. I sat up, feeling a headache. My eyes scanned the chaos. An engine was still running. A man cried out in Korean. A black man called for someone named Walt. Others were running around. One of them was wearing a suit. He and a few extra guys helped another one get out from under something.

I heard metal groaning. Standing up, I realized that the wing was about to fall off. Two people were sitting under it. “Hey!” I shouted. “Get out of there! The wing’s falling!” The plus-size man glanced up at the wing then stood, bringing the pregnant lady to her feet. They rushed out of there.

The sound of something going into the engine hit my ears. I winced, trying not to imagine a sliced up body. 

Shit. “Elena!!” I shouted. Damn it, where was she? “Elena!!” I ran through the wreckage, left no stone unturned, but she was nowhere. Damn it! If I hadn’t asked her to fly with me, she might not have ended up dead.

Okay, calm down. She’s not here. That doesn’t mean she’s dead.

So?

So there’s a chance she could still be alive, dummy.

I nodded, wiping a tear from my eye.

By nightfall, people had set up different little fires around the wreckage. They had all grouped up. Out of probably close to a hundred passengers, only forty-eight of us survived. I didn’t feel like being social with any of them at the moment. I smiled slightly. When did I ever feel like being social? Okay, maybe always with Elena, but with everyone else that wasn’t family? Not really. Okay, Elena’s not technically family. She’s a family friend. Our moms knew each other.

I tucked my auburn hair behind my ears.

The man in the suit walked up to me. “Hey,” he greeted. “You okay?”

“I have a little bit of a headache, but I’m fine,” I told him. “It’s passed now.”

He gave me a water bottle. “Here, just in case.” 

I took it, softly saying, “Thanks.”

He stared at me. “Are you sure you're okay?”

“What’s with the questions?” I asked, staring into his chocolate eyes.

He averted his eyes for a small moment. “Nothing, it’s just, I see you just sitting here alone. You were frantically yelling for someone.”

As he talked, she opened the bottle and took a sip. “She didn’t die on the plane if that’s what you were wondering,” she told them. “Or at least, I hope she didn’t. I haven’t found her body yet.” I paused. “By the way, have you spotted any flight attendants or the pilot?”

“Well, the head broke off as well as the tail, so I don’t know about the pilot. But, uh, huh. No.” He shook his head. “I guess I haven’t seen any flight attendants.”

“That’s weird,” I told him. “Would’ve thought that at least one of them would survive.” A few seconds of silence passed by as I glanced up at the stars. Where’s the Big Dipper? Oh. I remembered. “Thanks for the water,” I said, taking another sip.

“You’re welcome.” He stood. “I’m Jack by the way.”

I glanced at him. “Rachel.” My eyes followed him as he walked towards a woman.

Just where was that rescue boat?

Suddenly, a strange mechanical-sounding noise erupted from the forest. Everyone stood and turned to see trees being pushed around. The noise lasted for a few minutes. I couldn’t help but think of the book my cousins leaned me when they were done reading it for school. Lord of The Flies. 

It was hard to sleep after that. Just knowing that something mysterious was out there was enough to keep me awake with anxiety. After maybe an hour of just laying there, my eyes felt so heavy they just closed and I dozed off.

The next day, Jack, a dark-haired woman, and a blonde man wandered into the forest in search of the nose section of the plane.

Out of boredom, I decided it might be a good idea to try and find my suitcase. It wasn’t all that hard to miss. The entire thing had a print of Chewbacca on it. 

I tried not to let the dead bodies bother me, but it was hard. I mean, who wouldn’t be psyched out by a bunch of corpses sitting in a wreckage? Even inputting the trauma that I had recently experienced with dead bodies (back home), I had a really rough time. I kept trying to look away from all the corpses, but I keep glancing. I can’t help it. Every glance earns a flashback to that horrible day.

With a bit of the light, I could make out the row number of the first few seats. 13. The row Elena and I were sitting in was seventeen. My hand grasped the armrests of the chairs as I climbed up and counted the rows.

“Fourteen. Fifteen.” I froze as soon as my foot touched the leg of a corpse. I started to remember something. No, I decided. Don’t let it bother you now. Come on. You can do this. “Sixteen. Seventeen.”

If I remembered correctly, my suitcase was in the cupboard directly above us. I opened it, and a suitcase fell out. The texture was the same as my bag. I felt around it since I couldn’t exactly see in the dark, but it had two zippers like my bag. One for opening the case, and one for expanding the case. Four wheels. Two handles as well as a pull-up handle. When I felt the little dip on the suitcase I smiled. The outline was the same as the Rebel Alliance’s emblem. Yep. This was my bag. Now what about my backpack. It should be right under the seat if it didn’t move around when the Damn plane spiraled out of control.

Aisle seat, I reminded myself. I felt the bar… but no bag. Shit. 

A light source found my face.

“Well, looks like we had the same idea,” said a man’s voice. He sounded like he was Texas.

“I guess,” I told him. “Can I borrow your light for a second?”

He glanced at the large flashlight before shrugging. “Sure,” he said, tossing his large flashlight my way. I almost didn’t catch it.

Long story short, somehow, my bag was across the plane. Navy blue travel bag with a rolled-up top and lots of pockets. Relief washed over me. I now had entertainment in the form of the Da Vinci Code, The Princess Bride, and The Kill Artist.

Yes. A fourteen-year-old reads these kinds of books. My sketchbook and pencil case were still there too. Yay!

I climbed out of the plane with my backpack on my shoulders and my suitcase in my hand. The Texan’s flashlight was given back to him upon stepping onto the sand.

“Thanks,” I said, without meeting his gaze.

I set my stuff down in this makeshift shelter made of a few plane parts. 

An hour or so later, the party of three came back. The three of them were just in time too. The Texan and this man who I’m pretty sure was Iraqi started brawling. Jack broke them up. That’s when I noticed the woman was carrying a body. I, as well as a few others, ran up to her and the blonde guy. They all asked about the girl in the woman’s arms first. I recognized her immediately.

“Elena,” I said. My eyes became glossy, but I couldn’t allow the tears to fall. People began to quiet down. 

“You knew her?” the woman asked me.

“She‘s my friend,” I told her. I knew my next words were probably a stupid question. “Is she breathing?” The woman didn’t respond. I walked towards them. “Where’d you find her?” I checked the pulse spot on her neck. Nothing. Damn it! My best friend. My crush. The one who helped me during hard times. She’s gone.

“We heard a scream,” Jack told me. “So we ran and found her falling to the ground as if she was just attacked by something floating in the air.”

The monster. That weird, metallic sounding monster.

“I’m sorry, Rachel,” the doctor began to say. I fell to the ground sobbing. “I tried to give her CPR, but I was too late.”

The crowd all gave me sympathetic looks before dissipating. I took something to dig with and buried her in the ground. When I came back, I decided to visit the med tent.

“Hey, Rachel,” Jack was about to say something, but I cut him off.

“You did your best. It’s fine. She’s in the ground now.”

I noticed the woman’s eyes were on the man. “You knew him?”

“He was sitting next to me,” she said in a way that made me think there was more to it than that. Or maybe I was just thinking that because I saw her with handcuffs on the plane. That could only mean that this man was a Marshall, and she was a criminal. “I’m Kate, by the way.”

“Rachel.”

I chose to leave the subject alone and read. I barely noticed the team heading into the forest to try and get a signal. As I read though, I couldn’t get a specific camp song out of my head.

—

Elena and I were walking in front of our families out on a hike. It was about an eight-kilometer hike. We were almost halfway through it. Behind us was my younger brother, Joey. Our parents were behind us. We decided to pass the time by playing one of those singing games or whatever you called it.

“Hey, Joey,” we sang. This was his idea by the way.

“Someone’s calling my name,” he responded.

“Hey, Joey.”

“I think I hear it again.”

“You’re wanted on the telephone.”

“If it isn’t Rachel, I’m not home.”

“Hey, Rachel,” they sang.

“Someone’s calling my name,” I said in tune.

“Hey, Rachel.”

“I think I hear it again.”

“You’re wanted on the telephone.”

“If it isn’t Elena, I’m not home.”

“Hey Elena,” my brother and I sang.

“Someone’s calling my name,” she said.

“Hey, Elena.”

“I think I hear it again.”

“You’re wanted on the telephone.”

“If it isn’t Sam, I’m not home.” Sam was my father’s name. We turned towards him.

“Hey Sam,” us kids sang. He didn’t respond.

“Dad~,” I said. “You gotta do it.”

He wasn’t preoccupied with a conversation as my mom and Elena’s mom were having a conversation. He just stared at the wilderness. “What am I doing?” He asked, finally facing us.

“Responding to the call,” the nine-year-old boy said a bit enthusiastically.

He sighed. “Someone’s calling my name?” He guessed it was the correct response.

“Hey Sam,” we sang.

“I think I hear it again?”

“You’re wanted on the telephone.”

“What do I say?” He asked my mom quietly. She chuckled and told him what he needed to say. “If it isn’t Helen, I’m not home.”

“Hey Helen,” we sang.

“Someone’s calling my name,” mom joined.

“Hey, Helen.”

“I think I hear it again.”

“You’re wanted on the telephone.”

“If it isn’t Julie, I’m not home.”

“Hey, Julie.”

“Someone’s calling my name,” Elena’s mother sang.

“Hey, Julie.”

“I think I hear it again.”

“You’re wanted on the telephone.”

“If it isn’t Joey, I’m not home.”

——

I smiled at the memory. We played that game for at least ten minutes before getting tired of it. That was the last time I saw my family happy until… never mind. I returned to my books.

  
  



	2. Settling in

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meeting people and getting used to things. We get a look into Elena and Rachel's friendship.

In the hours that passed by with the team’s absence, I read my books. In the Kill Artist, Jacqueline Delacroix has met a Palestinian named Yusuf al-Tawfiki. In the Da Vinci Code, Robert Langdon was walking around in the museum. I haven’t started The Princess Bride yet, though I’ve read it several times.

After reading a little bit of the books, I decided to go to the med tent. I was curious about the unconscious man. Upon entering the make-shift medical tent, I noticed that Jack was tending to the man, and the chubby guy with long curly hair was standing around them.

“Uh, hi,” I said, making my presence known.

“Oh, hey,” said the curly-haired man. “We haven’t met yet. I’m Hurley. Did you get a chance to eat yet? I don’t think I handed you an airplane meal. Sorry about that.” I couldn’t help but think that I saw him on TV somewhere, but I shook it off.

“It’s fine. I ate the fish the Korean guy gave me,” I told him.

“That’s not a lot of food,” he noted.

“I’m not exactly all that hungry.” I realized I haven’t introduced myself yet. “I’m Rachel.”

“Did you dye your hair or is that your natural hair color?”

“It’s natural.”

“Cool.” I noticed a paper in his hands. 

“Can I see that?” He seemed reluctant, putting the paper behind him. 

Jack and Hurley shared a glance. The doctor nodded.

“Um, here,” said the man. The picture confirmed my suspicions.

“So I was right,” I muttered.

“Excuse me?” Hurley didn’t know if he heard me right.

“Just,” I tried to remember what actually happened. “When the oxygen masks were coming down, Elena and I put our masks on quickly. I was… gripping the armrests. Suddenly, I turn my head and I see Kate struggling to get a mask on. After a few seconds, I realized she couldn’t reach because she had cuffs.” I paused. “I didn’t really remember it until Walt found the handcuffs.”

The two men stared at me then back at each other. The air hung weird and I remembered what I came here to do. Elena looked fine. Her leg was wrapped now. All she really needs to do is wake up. It might take hours or it might take days. Even the doctor isn’t sure when she’ll awaken.

The next day, the transceiver team came back. I didn’t feel like going over to greet them. Instead, I went back into the plane, going to see if there were any food carts. I may not like the airplane food, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like the snacks or the breakfasts. Besides, the ones that cart around beverages are bound to have ice stored in them. 

I walked over to Sawyer to ask him for the flashlight. I stupidly didn’t pack one in my suitcase or backpack.

“What do you want, squirt?” He drawled. I didn’t like that he was hoarding other people’s things instead of gathering his own shit. It was stupid, and will definitely get him into trouble, but right now, I want his flashlight.

“I’m sorry, did you just call me squirt?” I asked, giving him an are-you-kidding-me look.

“Problem?” He looked up at me from his seat.

“Walt should be called squirt if anyone,” I mumble. I then looked at the man and asked, “Can I please have the flashlight again? I want to go back into the plane and see if there were any food carts or beverage carts.”

“I already checked for those,” he said, standing up. “Not a damn one.”

“Seriously?” I gave him a somewhat suspicious look. “You’re not just saying that to be a prick, are you?” He shook his head. I didn’t really believe him, but I chose to let it go. “Okay, well, do you have any snacks?”

He reached into one of his suitcases and threw a packet of pretzels at me. “Knock yourself out.”

There wasn’t all that much to do on the island for me except read and draw. I’ve only filled out two of my pages. One was a drawing of the crash. Another was a depiction of the beach.

When it rained again, people were ready, setting up tarps to catch the rainfall to be placed into water bottles. The rain didn’t bother me at first, but then my pages were getting damp. My tiny make-shift tent didn’t exactly have the best coverage, so I decided to run under the wing. The rain stopped soon after.

A few hours later, I heard a gunshot from the medical tent. It made me think of my family and of Elena’s dad for some reason. Upon seeing Kate and Sawyer leave, I somehow knew that the marshall was dead.

——

“Wait, your dad owns a gun?” I asked her. The two of us were walking home from school. Well, technically, we were walking home from the nearest smoothie place. As to how we ended up talking about guns? I’m not entirely sure.

“Yeah, and he wants to teach me how to use it,” Elena confirmed.

“Ooh, are you going to go to a gun range or something?” I asked.

“No, we’re going to the Outback,” she quipped. “Yes, a gun range.” She paused. “I guess he just wants me to learn how to use it so that I could defend myself?”

“... I’m sensing that you don’t want to.” We approached a crosswalk. I pressed the button.

“Not really no,” she stated. 

“Do you _have_ to go to Australia?”

“I mean…” she thought it over as we crossed the street. “I’ve scheduled a visit in two weeks, so I can still cancel it if I wanted to… but it’s not as if I have to go to the gun range _while_ visiting my dad in Australia.”

“That’s true.” I nodded. We came upon the street that separates our paths. I had to turn left to go home and she had to keep on straight to go to hers. “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See ya!” We waved as she walked away.

I turned left and began walking to my house.

——

The next day wasn’t all that eventful except for the fact that Walt’s dog came back, thanks to Mr. Locke. I saw the bald man blow on some whistle. Sure enough, the dog came back. He gave it to Micheal, Walt’s father, who gave the dog back to Walt.

I tried not to think about the circumstances that brought me here. It was hard enough just being here on this island. I didn’t need the added trauma. If this plane didn’t crash, I would be in Manhattan Beach, California with my aunt and uncle.

It’s day four on this island, right? A rescue party should be here by now.

The blonde man sat next to me. “You always alone?” He asked. He had an accent.

“Maybe,” I said. “What’s it to you?”

He tried to figure me out. “Are you from New Zealand?” He asked me.

“Yep. I’m a Kiwi.” I smiled slightly. “Why?”

“Just asking.” Looking at him, I could tell that there was something familiar about him. Couldn’t quite put a finger on it though. “Recognize me?” He asked, which made me more confused. “Oh.” Then he sang, “You all, everybody. You all, everybody.”

My face scrunched in thought. “Driveshaft?” I guessed.

He nodded. “Yeah.”

“Ohhhh.” I nodded my head, choosing to survey the beach.

“Charlie Pace,” he introduced himself, holding out his hand. 

“Rachel,” I said.

“Wasn’t there a Rachel that appeared on the news a few days ago?”

“Dunno,” I told him. Of course, that wasn’t true. How he would be tuned in to the news on New Zealand, I’m not exactly sure. I glanced at him and realized that he ripped his sleeves off and wrote LOST on his tapped fingers.

I then noticed the words, “Living is easy with eyes closed,” on his shoulder. I smiled, remembering they were lyrics to a Beatles song. What were the lyrics again? Oh, right.

“Living is easy with eyes closed,” I sang. “Misunderstanding all you see. It’s getting hard to be someone but it all works out.”

Charlie joined me. “It doesn’t matter much to me.” We glanced at each other and nodded to the musical accompaniment in our heads. “Let me take you down, ‘cause we’re going to Strawberry Fields. Nothing is real. And nothing to go one about. Strawberry fields forever.”

We smiled and stared out into the ocean.

  
  



	3. Fishing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel helps Charlie and Hurley fish. We get a flashback look at Rachel's life.

Vincent, the dog, who I’ve had the privilege of petting was barking at something in the middle of the fricking night. The Labrador was cute, but at _this_ hour? Seriously? 

Realizing I wasn’t going to sleep until the dog shut up, I went over to where everyone else was standing. 

Strange sounds were coming from the plane. It seemed like an animal.

Kate, Jack, and Sawyer moved to investigate. Though as soon as they did, three boars ran out of the giant machine and back into the woods.

Great there are huge rampaging boars in the woods. That’s just great. Food that doubles as a stabby weapon. There weren’t any snacks in there, then it must have been the rotting corpses that attracted them to the beach.

I must have woken up late in the day. The sun was already high. That, and when I woke up, Sawyer and Hurley were yelling at each other over the last bag of peanuts. I became more awake when that Locke fellow threw a knife at the Texan’s head.

After a few minutes, the group decided to send Locke, Micheal, and Kate out to try and hunt.

Others decided to burn the fuselage with the dead bodies for a memorial service. They’d read off the names of the dead’s passports (whichever they could find), or really anything that might identify someone currently not alive on the island.

Not wanting to read, feeling uninspired to draw, and not wanting to be depressed, I joined Hurley and Charlie in catching fish. 

“Hey,” the men greeted as I walked up to them. My pants were rolled up and I wore a short-sleeved shirt, contrary to what I was wearing for the past few days.

“Hey,” I greeted, trying my shoulder-length wavy hair into a ponytail. “Need some help?”

“You know anything about fishing?” Hurley asked me.

“A little,” I answered. “My dad would take my brother and me to the river. Sometimes the beach. My dad started my brother on a fishing rod. He was nine. I liked to spear-fish.”

Charlie, who was currently holding the spear, said, “Alright, then why don’t you try?” He held it out with his taped hand. The letters now read, “LATE.”

I stepped forward and took the spear. It was a good thing these waters were so clear. Once I saw one right in front of us, I thrust the spear into the water and stabbed the aquatic animal. I took the weapon out of the water and put the bottom of the spear into the sand. “And there you have it. One fish.”

“Amazing,” said Charlie. 

“Thanks.” I took the fish off of the spear and handed it to Charlie. “You wanted to give this to Shannon, right?” He nodded and took the fish.

I then turned to Hurley. “Is it alright if I use this to try and catch a few more? Since we’re out of food, I figured, why not?”

“No, yeah, sure. You can have it. I can even prepare them to eat if you like,” Hurley offered.

“That would be wonderful, Hurley.” I then went back to spear-fishing. I wish I had my snorkel equipment. Then I could swim out to the reef, if there was one and kill all kinds of fish. But I gotta work with what I got.

After I had speared about five more fish, the pregnant lady came over to me. “Hi,” she greeted. One hand held something in her hand. The other grasped her back. “I’m Claire.” The woman held out a passport. “This is the passport of Elena, right?” She asked.

I took it in my hands and flipped through it. After a few pages, I stopped at her picture. It definitely looked like her, and her name was there too.

“Yeah,” I said. “And I’m Rachel.”

“Nice to meet you,” she said as she walked away. She stopped and turned towards me. “I was just thinking that you should maybe hold onto it.”

“Uh, yeah thanks,” I said, opting to stop fishing then and there. I put the passport with my stuff and thought about my dad and our fishing.

——

I was out in the reef with my spear and snorkel goggles. The water was shallow enough that I didn’t have to dive to snatch a fish. Once I caught a large one, I swam back to the boat.

I was almost taken aback by the sea turtle that came into my vision from my blind spot. It didn’t seem to care about me. I wish I had an underwater camera to take a picture of it. 

Mentally sighing, I resumed my swim towards the boat. 

I climbed up the ladder with one hand. The other held onto the spear. Once my feet were on the second to the top rung, my dad said, “Hey kiddo. Nice catch.”

“Thanks,” I said. I then looked at my little brother. A small bucket of bait sat by his side. “How’s the fishing going little buddy?”

“I haven’t caught anything yet,” Joey stated, almost disappointed.

I approached him. “Hey, it’s alright. All it takes is a bit of patience.”

“A bit of patience,” Joey took to heart.

“Dad,” I caught our father’s attention. “I saw a sea turtle on my way over here. It was huge.”

He didn’t answer me. His phone rang. “Yeah?... okay. Sure, yeah. I’ll come in… oh, you are? That’s really not necessary-” the call ended. Whatever my dad wanted, the decision was made.

I frowned. That was a work call. Throughout all the years of my life, I’ve never been told or been able to figure out what this man does for a living. 

“Come on bud,” said my dad to Joey. “Let’s pack this up.”

“Okay,” my brother accepted, even more disappointed. I helped them pack the fishing gear.

When we got home, men in tuxedos were standing on our little dock. I tied the boat to the posts as dad walked out to greet his coworkers.

——

The fish were all done and cooked by the time the hunting party got back. By the hunting party, I mean just Kate and Micheal. A few different people ran up to them, including the doctor.

“Rachel, can you bring Micheal some fish?” Jack called.

“Sure!!” I shouted. I grabbed bits of chopped fish and put them on one of the large leaves we’ve been using for plates. Once there, I asked, “What happened to Locke?”

“That weird monster thing got him,” Micheal replied, wincing slightly at Jack’s alcohol dipped rag.

“Like got him, got him?” I wanted to make sure.

“Yeah,” he nodded.

“I see. Well,” I held out the fish. “Want some fish? You were out there for a while.”

“Sure,” he said, reaching for the food. He held the leaf in his hand and ate the meat with his other hand.

That night was the memorial. The pregnant lady read a bunch of passports of people who weren’t here. Then there was this scrapbook. It didn’t have their names, but Claire thought it was cute.

I didn’t think or want this to get any stranger, but Mr. Locke freakin popped out of the woods dragging a boar behind him. So, we started another fire and roasted the damn hog.

I don’t think Kate and Micheal really saw this man get killed. I don’t know, maybe they just heard it. Anything can happen when you just ‘hear’ things. Then again, Mr. Locke looked pretty banged up. So then, he survived an attack by the weird monster but won’t say anything. I was fine with that. I’d rather not know anything about that creature.


	4. Water Crisis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The camp's water has been stolen.

It’s day six on the island. I’m starting to think that no one’s going to come looking for us. Either that, or they’re looking at us in the wrong place. Some people just refer to me as the quiet girl, or that girl who reads a lot, or the girl whose friend was killed by the monster. They don’t know my name because I don’t exactly socialize with anyone. Honestly, I don’t really care what they call me.

Again, I stir through noise. Maybe setting up camp close to the medical tent wasn’t such a good idea. Charlie was frantically waking up the doctor. It wasn’t until I joined the others at the beach that I realized why.

A woman from the plane was drowning far out at sea. The lifeguard guy, Boone, or whatever his name is, went out to save her, but now he’s struggling. We all watched as Jack swam in to save Boone and swim back. By the time he got back to shore, it was too late to save the woman. Fricking fate. Sometimes, that’s just how things go, and I hate it.

I wish Elena hadn’t died, then I wouldn’t be alone. I’m the only teenager here. Walt is ten. Shannon (I think) is twenty, and everyone else is older than that. Yes, I’m counting Boone as older than his step sister.

Somehow, the water goes missing. I only know that because I was eavesdropping on Hurley’s, Charlie’s, and Jack’s conversation. I drew little doodles pretending to be in my own little world.

After their conversation, Hurley sits by me. “Hello,” he greets.

“Hey,” I responded, not looking up from my notebook.

There’s a silence between us. “You’re not really the social type are you?”

“Why do you ask?” I wondered why he sat down with me in the first place as I erased a curved line.

“You just don’t really talk to anyone.” The air hung as if he wanted to ask why. Everyone knew one reason. My best friend had died right here on the island. But that’s only the half of it. Then he said, “You’re always drawing… and reading.” He leaned over my shoulder slightly. “Oh, hey that’s pretty cool.”

“Thanks.”

“So, uh, listen,” he paused. I kept on doodling. “Did you happen to hear anything we discussed?”

“Don’t worry,” I told him, finally facing the man. “The water crisis is safe with me.” He looked into my eyes for a small moment before nodding. 

He then noticed my suitcase. “Dude, is that Chewbacca? I love Star Wars. Right on.”

I smiled at him for a moment. As he went to get up, I said, “May the Force be with you.”

“And to you,” he responded.

To pass the hours, I decided to reread The Princess Bride for the fourth time in my life. I’ve watched the movie too, but I like the story without the little kid’s interruptions.

A few minutes into my read, however, I hear Boone yelling at Jack.

“Why didn’t you leave me?” The young man asked the doctor.

“Not now man,” Jack tried to put him off.

Agreeing, I tried to get back to my book.  _ The year that Buttercup was born- _

“I could have made it back,” Boone argued. “What? You’re not gonna answer me? I told you to leave me, man. I told you I could’ve-“

“You were drowning.”

“You should have saved her.”

I returned to my book and skipped ahead.  _ As she strolled through the family rose gardens watching the sun rise, she felt happier than she had ever been. “Not only am I perfect,” she said to herself, “I am probably the first perfect person in the whole long history of the universe-“ _

“But I didn’t save her,” Jack stated. “And neither did you.”

“You think you’re all noble and heroic coming after me?” Boone continued. “I WAS FINE. You’re not the only one around here who knows what to do man. I run a business! Who appointed  _ you _ savior? What gives  _ you _ the right to-“

Irritated, I close the book, making a loud bang. They didn’t hear it though.

“Hey! Don’t walk away from me. Where the hell are you going?! HEY!!” I glanced behind me to see Jack running off. Rolling my eyes, I returned to my book.

Somewhere along the tedious hours of the day, Claire collapses. Everyone else rushes to her and carries her into the tent. I grabbed a rag and soaked it in the cool ocean water. As Kate places her down, I run back into the tent and put the rag on the blonde’s forehead.

“Damn it, where’s the water?” Kate asked no one, getting frustrated.

“What?” I played dumb. 

She looked up at me. “The water’s gone.”

“What do you mean, like it’s gone, gone?” I pretended as if I wanted to make sure.

“Yes, it’s gone.” She confirmed.

“Shit,” I muttered. Okay, now that someone desperately needs the water, where is it?

Kate and that Iraqi (Sayid, I heard was his name) ask around for the remainder of the day. I return to reading and finish the book by nightfall.

When the sky turned navy blue, I saw Boone give Claire (who still lay there unconscious) the water bottles. Though she seemed to have woken up.

“Seriously?” I asked as I walked up to him. He turned to me trying not to have a guilty face. “Why?”

Charlie’s timing couldn’t have been any better. “Where did you get that?!” The bassist grilled him. He takes Boone away from the tent and declared, “Here’s your thief!” As others swarmed them, I tended to Claire.

“Hey,” I greeted. “How are you feeling?”

“Still a little hot,” the pregnant lady rasps.

“I feel you,” I said, getting the open water bottle. I wet the rag with the liquid and placed it on her head. “How’s the baby?”

“I think he’s fine,” she told me.

I stopped. “Is the baby for sure a ‘he?’”

“I don’t really know to be honest,” she smiled. “But I feel like it’s a he.”

“Good enough. Does he have a name yet?”

Her face scrunched. “Oh, I’ll have to think about that yet,” she nearly giggled.

Someone entered the tent. Turning around, I found Jack standing there staring at us. “She’s fine,” I told him. “The baby is probably okay too.”

“Uhm, thanks, Rachel,” he said, still a little confused. I took a small look at Elena before calling it a night.


	5. The Cave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel goes with Jack, Kate, Charlie, and Locke to collect water from the cave.

It’s now been seven days on the island. I wished my brother was here to watch the sun use with me. Heck. That would be nice. Us, sticking together through all this. He would have liked Walt. I know they would have been good friends. 

If only… 

No. No thinking of that day. Let’s not feel depressed today.

In the Da Vinci Code, Langdon and the lady he was working with had arrived at Westminster Abbey when I heard another fight break out.

I saw Sayid body-slam into the Korean guy while Sawyer held back Micheal. Others gathered around. Then I saw Sawyer handcuff the Korean guy to a part of the plane.

After which, Jack announced that he found a freshwater source while he was out in the jungle yesterday. He wants to take a few people to check it out. Kate volunteered as she always did for expeditions. Charlie and Locke said they’d go too. Wanting to get off the beach, I ran up to them.

“Can I come with you?” I asked them with my pack strapped on. I had previously taken out a few things to lighten the load off of my shoulders, so the bag bounced a bit when I approached them.They glanced between each other. “It’s just I haven’t really seen the rest of the island, I haven’t really helped around here, and I have bottles-“

“You can come,” Jack cut me off. I smiled.

I walked next to Charlie as we hiked through the jungle. None of us really said much. After a few minutes, we arrived at a cave.

“Water’s this way,” Jack stated as we entered the place. 

“Okay,  _ now _ there’s a real Lord of the Flies vibe,” I muttered. Kate smiled at my comment.

“How did you find this place?” The criminal asked the doctor.

“Luck,” Jack answered.

As we went further into the cave, we found a bunch of plane wreckage stuff. Towards the back was a small spring and a little pool.

“It’s amazing,” Locke commented.

“Some luck,” Kate remarked. Jack nodded and walked towards the spring. I followed, touching the flowing water with my fingers. It was cool, not lukewarm like the bottled water on the beach. Kate hands me a water bottle which I begin to fill. Once that’s done I hand it back to her and begin refilling some of my own.

“Hey guys,” said Charlie. He stood near the pile of plane wreckage things. “Shouldn’t somebody look through this stuff? See if there’s anything useful in there?” 

“He’s got a point,” Locke stated.

“Yeah,” said the doctor, turning towards the bassist. “Bring me your bottles. Keep an eye out for any medical supplies. Drugs in particular.”

“Drugs,” Charlie parroted. “Right.”

The sound of a backpack dropping onto the ground reaches my ears, but I don’t turn to look.

When I have all four of my water bottles filled and packed, Locke called for the other two adults. We looked at each other. “You two go, I’ll finish up here.” They nodded and were off. Distant shouting about bees fill my ears as I finish filling the water bottle. I nearly laughed. 

Jack and Kate return a few minutes later, trying to get the bees off of them. I turn to face them but something catches my eye. Something strange was in a niche. It seemed to be pretty old. It had that weird grey dust color.

“Ahhh!” I screamed, stepped and stumbling back. A corpse was just laying there. It reminded me of my family. My brother, my mother, and my father, just laying there dead in pools of blood in the kitchen of my house. I hadn’t realized my knees had hit the ground until Jack placed his hand on my shoulder.

“Are you okay? What’s wrong?” The doctor asked.

I pointed to the niche. “Th-there’s a corpse right there. It’s nearly a skeleton.” The two grownups step closer to the elevated spot and confirm my sight.

Kate crossed the room. “There’s another one.” She paused. “Who are they?” she wondered out loud. “How’d they get here?”

“I can’t exactly perform an autopsy,” Jack told her. “But there doesn’t seem to be any major trauma to their bones… Someone laid them here.”

“Who?”

“I don’t know.”

“Where’d they come from?”

“Didn't you guys shoot a polar bear last week?”

What? “Yeah?”

“Where’d  _ that _ come from?”

“Hold up,” I said, getting to my feet. “You guys shot a polar bear last week?” I glanced at the woman, skeptical.

“Yep,” she stated.

“Where?”

“In the woods somewhere.”

I tried to look at the skeletons again, but I couldn't. I just kept seeing my dead family in the kitchen of our house. My chest heaved. Without a word, I walked outside. I took deep breaths in an attempt to calm myself down.

A few seconds later, Locke and Charlie walk up to me. “You alright?” The bald man asked me. 

I lied and nodded. “Just wanted some fresh air.” They took that as the answer and went inside. After a few minutes, I decided to be brave and head back inside. My eyes didn’t wander. Locke and Charlie left to talk about something.

“Hey, you okay?” Jack asked gently as soon as he saw me. 

“Uh, sure,” I said, getting my backpack and stuffing it with water bottles.

“Doesn’t sound like it,” he pressed.

Angered, I turned to him. “What are you, a psychologist now?” I snapped. I looked into their shocked eyes then averted mine. “Sorry, just… they remind me of something.”

I could tell that they wanted to ask what but decided not to. “It’s alright,” said Jack. “We can clear them out before moving in.”

I stared at him skeptically. “I’m sorry, what?”

“We have too many people to have a few of us trek up the mountain for water. We can set up a camp here. It’d be much easier.”

“Uh, yeah, I guess it makes sense, but I think I’ll stay on the beach.” I walked towards the mouth of the cave before stopping. “So, are we gonna deliver these to the people or…?”

The two adults immediately stood. The three of us walked down to the beach and delivered the commodity. 


	6. Cave-in

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack gets buried under a bunch of rubble. Lots of people pitch in to help get him out. We get a flashback that tells us a little more about Elena.

I helped Jack move all of his medical supplies and a bunch of other things. My arms began to hurt on the last little stretch. I glanced around the place. Jack really did remove the bodies. Just thinking about them gave my arms chills.

“Having second thoughts?” Jack asked.

I faced him. “No, just remembered… you know.” I didn’t want to say dead bodies and freak everyone out.

“Oh.” He chose to leave it alone.

“Listen,” I said. “I’m staying at the beach, and that’s that.”

“And that’s fine.”

It’s now been eight days since we crashed here on this island. I found myself sitting at the beach in my usual spot, reading.

“Hey yo,” came Sawyer’s voice. I didn’t need to look at him to tell that the man was standing a few feet away from me. For some goddamn reason, he took over what was once Jack’s med tent. Now we’re neighbors. “I said hello.”

“And?” I asked, rereading the last sentence.

“You know, literary entertainment isn’t really in good supply,” he stated.

“Your point?” I asked, still not looking at him.

“My point is,” he crouched down. “How about a little trade.” He waited for my response. I didn’t give him one. “Listen, I know that you don’t exactly eat a lot.”

“Everyone’s not eating a lot,” I quipped.

“Yeah, but somehow I could tell that you’re not eating much on purpose. You’re not… actively seeking sustenance.”

“Why have you taken it upon yourself to look after me?” I ask, marking my page in the book by doggy eating it. (I don’t have a bookmark, sue me.)

“Oh, now she looks,” he remarked. 

“Ugh,” I said as I returned to my book. 

He stood. “Listen.” Out of my peripheral vision, I could tell that his hands were moving. “I’m trying to make a trade. Some food—fish or fruit—for one of your books.”

“There’s fruit on the island?” I questioned.

“Of course there’s fruit on the island,” he said it a bit soft, but I could tell he wanted to shout it. “We just haven’t really found some yet.”

I reread the sentence again before moving onto the rest of the paragraph. The French woman from The Kill Artist wished she was with Gabriel instead of the Pakistani. 

“You’re not even listening to me, are you?” 

“Nope.” 

“Forget it.”

“Bye.”

Great. Now Sawyer crashed the mood. I winced. Seriously. Did I really just say that? I marked my page again and placed the book in the bag. Not wanting the douchebag to get to it, or any of the other books, I put it at the bottom of the bag, which had a zipper to a large pocket. 

I walked to where the beach met the waves and just stood there.

——

“Hey,” I greeted Elena as she opened the door to her house. The sky was getting to be dark.

“Hey,” she greeted softly. “The police told us what happened. Do you want to come in?”

I nodded. She opened the door wider and let me in. I closed the door behind me. Elena led me to her kitchen table where she made me a cup of hot chocolate. She and her mom probably already had dinner. For the first few minutes, I didn’t say anything. My best friend was alright with that. She was being really patient with me.

Her mom walked into the room. “Oh, hi, Rachel,” she greeted, walking over to me. “How you holding up?”

“Not great,” I stated in a downbeat tone.

“Well, you can stay here as long as you like.”

“Actually, Julie, my aunt, and uncle have scheduled me to move in with them in California. It’s in a few days, and it’s an Australian flight.”

“Oh, I see. How do you feel about that sweetie?” She sat down next to me.

“I don’t know,” I said, taking a sip of my warm beverage. “I mean, they _are_ my only living relatives.”

“This would be only your fifth time flying over there right?” Elena asked, getting something from the pantry.

“Yeah, and I’m a nervous flyer. I’m not even sure if they made me an unaccompanied minor.”

“Well, I could fly with you, if you,” my best friend offered.

“You don’t have to-“

“No, I want to. It’d be like a send-off.” She smiled.

“We can decide that later,” said Elena’s mother. “Right now, how about we watch ourselves a movie and then go to bed?”

According to Elena, I woke up screaming. She ran into my room and woke me up. She hugged me as I sobbed into her shoulder.

——

The next day, Jack came down to the beach to get a few things. I paid no attention to Sawyer’s and Kate’s conversation.

Bored, I decided to take a hike through the jungle. Maybe explore it for a little while. 

Okay, this place is creepy. Hands down. 

“Rachel that you!!!” Screamed Charlie’s voice.

“Yeah?” I called, not exactly sure where his was coming from. The bassist emerged from the brush in front of me.

“There’s been a cave-in. Jack’s in trouble!” 

“What?!” He was already on his way down to the beach. 

Another thing I’ve learned: It’s not exactly easy to run up a steep elevated hill with a jungle in your way when you’ve been living at sea level for the past few days.

When I got there, Micheal, the Koreans, Hurley, and the others were working on moving the rocks. I joined in to help. Micheal and Hurley were a bit skeptical about letting me, but I insisted. Soon, more people from the beach arrived to help.

Also, apparently, Micheal used to work construction.

The order of the rock moving line went: Micheal, Hurley, Jin, Sun, me, Boone, and a few others I don’t know.

After what felt like hours later, Hurley shouted, “We’re through! We got a hole!” He then went close to said opening. “Jack! Can you hear me? Jack!” No answer. “C’mon dude, answer me.”

“H-Hurley?” The doctor asked. He didn’t sound all that great. His voice was faint.

“I hear him,” said Hurley to the others. They all cheered. “Jack, bro, you okay?”

“I’m… I’m pinned,” said Jack. “I can’t move.” He paused. “Charlie! Charlie was with me!”

“He’s okay, man. He made it out. Listen, we’re gonna get you out of there. Just sit tight.”

After inspecting the wall, Micheal said, “Okay, we can’t safely make the tunnel any bigger. But since Jack can’t get out… one of us is gonna have to go in.”

“What? Crawl through that?” Hurley guessed.

“I think he means someone smaller,” Boone told him.

Sun started to speak, but Jin interrupted. She probably thought she could get through, but he wouldn’t allow her to.

“Dude, we don’t understand Chinese,” Hurley told the man.

“Korean man.” “Dude, they’re Korean.” Micheal and I stated simultaneously.

“I could do it,” I said. “I’m smaller than all of you.”

“ _I’ll_ do it,” said Charlie. I didn’t even see him come in. 

“Dude, you-“ I tried.

“No, I need to do it,” the blonde bassist told me. He seemed so determined, so I backed down.

“Nah man, you’re still shaken up,” Micheal said. “Let Rachel do it.”

“Yeah?” Charlie challenged. “She said I could do it.” He pointed to Micheal. “You have a son.” He then looked at Boone. “You have a sister.” Then he pointed at Sun. “And she has a husband. I have no one. No family. I’m alone here.” His hand fell to his side. “I’m not that much taller than Rachel. Let me do this.”

No one could or really wanted to argue with him at this point.

“Alright,” said Micheal, stepping to the side. The bassist walked up to the hole. “Go slow and easy, man. Try not to nudge any of the rocks around you.”

“Anything else?” 

“Yeah. Good luck.” The others wished him luck too.

“Thanks.” The blonde man then crawled through the space. As soon as he made it through, however, the tunnel collapsed.

“I say we try again,” said Hurley.

“We can’t just leave them-“ Boone began to say.

“-We don’t move they’re gonna run out of air-“

“Stop talking!” Micheal yelled. “I’m trying to think-“

“WHERE IS HE?!” Kate demanded, running into the cave.

“Kate-“ the construction worker tried.

“Where is he, Micheal? Where’s Jack?”

“In there,” Hurley inclined his head towards the wall of rocks.

Kate gives the wall a blank stare as she steps closer into the cave. “Do we know if he’s alive? Is he alive?”

I wanted to say it, but Micheal beat me to it. “We don’t know. Charlie went in after him. Through a tunnel, we dug. But it… collapsed.”

“So then why isn’t anyone digging?” She stepped up to the rocks.

Micheal moved to intercept her. “Kate. There’s nothing left to dig into.”

The dark-haired criminal glanced around at everyone. Then she went to the wall and began digging. Everyone shared a look before moving to help her. 

We must have dug for another fifteen minutes before Walt said, “Look! It’s Charlie and Jack!” We all turned to the entrance of the cave to see the two of them approaching us. A sense of relief came over us.

I stayed for the hog roast dinner and the rest of the night. I didn’t want to risk possibly getting killed by whatever that monster was.


	7. Lian Yu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While gathering things, Rachel gets hurt. Kate brings her to the cave. We get a look at what sent her on this journey to the Oceanic Flight 815.

It was now day eleven on the island. Everyone was staying on the beach because they still had hope of being rescued. Well, all except three people. Kate, Sawyer, and myself. I didn’t know what Kate’s reason was, but I’m pretty sure Sawyer didn’t want to be around Jack or something.

No one really trusted Sawyer. Especially not since two days ago, day nine. Shannon didn’t have her asthma meds so Boone went looking through Sawyer’s things, thinking that he had them. However, he only ended up getting beat up by the man. So, Boone and Shannon travel into the cave for help. A few minutes after that, I saw Jack and Sayid conspire against the hoarder. And after everything that could have been done, it was revealed that he didn’t even have the medication. 

This made me think he _wanted_ people to hate him. Why? I don’t know, maybe he did something. He definitely seems like the type of guy who’d be a conman. Either way, he’s our resident asshole.

We also lost our resident tech guy yesterday. He went out in the woods for doing something he now feels guilty about.

That night, I had one of those dream memories.

——

I was walking home from school. Elena and I had just gotten smoothies. I wish I had more time to spend with her, but she had to get home. As I walked up to the door, I noticed something was wrong. No one in my family leaves the front door open unless they’re in the front yard or taking multiple trips to and from the driveway. 

“Hello?” I called out. No one answered. Things were trashed all over the place. Furniture such as chairs and tables were broken. Even the bookshelf looked to be in disarray. “Dad?” Still no answer. “Mom? Joey?” Nothing.

Once I ventured into the kitchen, my backpack, (which was strewn over only one of my shoulders) had fallen to the ground, making me jump. I did _not_ need that extra scare. 

My mom, my dad, and my brother all had bullet holes in their heads. They laid there on the ground lifeless. Quickly, I called the police. After which, I remembered something.

Frantically, I ran upstairs. My father always kept his study locked. Once there, I found the door wide open. Drawers from the desk were flung to the ground. So yeah, whoever broke into my house and killed my family also took whatever my dad was hiding.

Wanting to check the message my father left me, I hit the voicemail button on my mobile. “Hey, Rachel. Listen to me very carefully. I need you to drop what you’re doing right now and come home. We’re packing up to leave. I’ll answer any questions you have once we’re out of New Zealand and far away from Australia. Just get here.”

I sat on the front steps with my foot tapping until the police cars came rushing into my driveway. The investigators and the forensic guys pushed past me. Well, all except one. She put a blanket over me.

——

I awoke to Sawyer rudely shaking me. “Wake up, damn it!” I scooted away from him.

“Sawyer!” Kate yelled, fastly walking towards us. Once she was about three feet away, she crossed her arms. “What are you doing?”

“Didn’t you hear her?” He gestured toward me. “She was screaming up a storm.”

“I was?” I asked, standing up, brushing the sand from my clothes.

He nodded with wide eyes and pursed lips. “Yeah, kid.”

“Oh, well, sorry, I guess. I’ll go see if I can find any fruit.” I quickly walked away from them and into the jungle.

“Great, now look what you’ve done,” Kate chastised him. Sawyer struggles to defend himself. I picked up the spear, not wanting her to go after me.

I’m not sure how long I just walked around the woods. All I really know is that I don’t exactly know where I am. “Great,” I muttered. “This is just great.”

I started backtracking and decided to actually try and look for fruit. After many minutes, I found this green fruit growing on a small tree. They didn’t look small enough to be limes, so I bet they’re guava. I picked a few of them. 

My father wouldn’t leave my mind. Just was his job, anyway? He was always suspicious about it. He told everyone that he worked as an accountant. I knew it had to be something else though. Sometimes people in SUVs would show up at our house. He kept his study locked. Everything was very hush-hush. Then he calls me and leaves a voicemail saying that we had to leave immediately? What the heck was up with that? Was he in with a mob? Did he work for the government or something? What if he worked for this secret organization?

As I walked back, I began to hear the sound of trees being toppled over. Then I heard the monster.

I sprinted forward in an effort to evade the mystery beast. It worked for a while. Next, my foot got caught in something. I tried to move, but I fell, dropping two of the guava.

“Rachel!” Came Kate’s voice. Suddenly I didn’t hear the monster anymore. The dark-haired woman appeared in my field of vision. She looked at me almost shocked. “What happened?”

“The monster came after me,” I told her, moving to get up. I stumbled. “I found a few guavas too.”

Kate helped me up before noticing the green fruit. “So you did.” She picked them up and gave them to me.

“I think I might have sprained my ankle.”

“Yeah? Let’s get you to Jack.”

I walked funny, but I was supported by Kate. We trudged up the mountain together. On the way, she asked, “Are you okay?”

“You talking about my leg or my rude awakening?” I asked, opting to glance at her for a moment.

She returned my gaze. “Anything?”

“It’s not just that Elena’s gone.” I chose to look at the trees while telling her this. “My mom, my dad, and my little brother are gone. I was supposed to meet my aunt and uncle at LAX, but well, you know.” I gestured to the jungle around us. 

“I’m sorry to hear that,” she stated. I smiled, breathing out a laugh. “What?”

“I figured someone would say that,” I bit back a giggle. She gave me a look. “What? Someone always says that in the movies.”

“While true, you can’t exactly base your expectations on movies.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“What were they like?”

“My dad was secretive. My mom was kind, and my little brother was this bundle of joy.” I smiled. “Me, Elena, and my family, and sometimes her’s as well, would always go hiking at some point or another. Guess I’m currently beating them on mileage.”

She laughed. 

When we finally made it to the caves, Kate called for Jack. The doctor came up to us looking concerned. “What happened?” The woman passed me off to him.

“She sprained her ankle while picking fruit,” Kate told him. I wondered why she didn’t tell him about the monster. “I figured she could use some time to rest her leg up here.”

“Yeah, okay,” said Jack. He took me to an unoccupied spot in the cave.

“I’ll be right back with your things, Rachel,” Kate told me.

“You don’t have to,” I said. She didn’t respond. I figured she already left to get them.

The doctor helped me lay down. “You should be resting and keeping this leg elevated.” The man brought a good-sized rock under my foot. 

“I found guava,” I said, holding my hand out.

“Oh, you did?” asked Hurley, taking off his headset.

“Dude, you got musical entertainment?” I asked, jealous. He nodded, walking up to me and taking one of the fruits from my hand. He then got up and went back to his spot. I then found Sun looking at me. I stretched my hand a bit more as if to say: do you want some?

She thought about it before nodding and taking two. I now had one left. Setting it beside me, I opted to lean against the wall of the cave.

“Does it hurt much?” Jack asked me.

“Yeah, it does. On a scale of one to ten, I’d say a solid five.”

“Okay,” he said, opening a pill bottle. He poured out one. I took it. “That should take care of you for now.”

“Thanks.” He nodded and smiled.

A few minutes later, Kate came back with my things. “I like your suitcase, by the way,” she complimented me as she set them down.

I shifted my position so that I could use my backpack as a pillow. “Thanks.” She soon left.

Walt and his dog came back from what was probably a walk. That’s when he too noticed my suitcase. “Is that supposed to be Chewbacca?” He asked me.

“Yes, indeed it is.”

“Cool.” He left me alone after that, going over to his own little spot.

I noticed a mosquito on my hand and swatted at it. It flew away but left a bite. “God da-“ I suddenly remembered there was a child here. I huffed. “This place is like Lian Yu.”

“What?” Jack asked.

“Walt!” I called. I glanced over at him to find that he was trying to read his Spanish comic book again, just as I figured he would. The boy looked at me. “Do you read comic books regularly or just that one?” 

“Just this one, why?”

“Well, there’s this hero my little brother was obsessed with. He was called the Green Arrow. Now, in this character’s backstory, there was this island called Lian Yu. It’s Chinese for Purgatory. I think. He had to learn how to survive on that island.” I glanced up at the ceiling. “Kind of like what we’re doing now.”

“Well, did he get off the island?” The child asked me.

“Eventually, yes.” I just hoped that we would be able to leave _this_ one.

“Is that why you didn’t want to move up here?” The doctor wondered out loud.

I was close to frowning. “No, and I don’t want to tell you why.”

“Alright.”

That night, we had all eaten or were in the process of finishing our food when someone asked, “Anyone know any good songs?” Each of us was arranged in a strange-looking circle.

“I do,” said Charlie.

“What?” I challenged. “Your one-hit wonder?”

“Alright, why don’t you sing one then.”

I smiled, knowing exactly which one to sing. I don’t even know why or how it came to mind. The others quieted down. I sang, “Womraka Moses yenyen wala. Wala ye pun yepuge. Ngarra burra ferra yamina yala. Ngarra burra ferra yumini yala yala. Ngarra burra ferra yumini yala yala. Ngarra Burra Ferra yumina. Burra Ferra yumina. Burra ferra yumina yala yala.”

Claire, who also knew this song joined in. “Yanuk becu jesu. Braru bucana yumina. Ngarra burra ferra yamini yala.” We harmonized. “Ngarra burra ferra yumini yala yala. Ngarra burra ferra yumini yala yala. Ngarra burra ferra yumina. Burra ferra yumina. Burra ferra yumina yala yala Ngarra burra ferra yumini yala yala. Ngarra burra ferra yumini yala yala. Ngarra burra ferra yumina. Burra ferra yumina. Burra ferra yumina yala yala.”

Claire and I shared a look and smiled at each other as the others clapped.

“What was that?” Charlie asked.

“ _That_ was a song in Yorta Yorta, a language of the Australian Aboriginal people,” Claire told him. “The song is an adaption of the song _Turn Back the Pharaoh's Army,_ which in turn, is an adaption of two Jewis Praise songs. The Aborigines who spoke Yorta Yorta had really dark skin, and were discriminated against for centuries. They felt they identified with the Jewish people and state-sponsored oppression. The Fisk Jubilee Singers of Nashville, renowned for bringing the African American spirituals tradition out onto the world stage, visited Malaga Aboriginal Mission in August 1886. They sang their standard repertoire, but the song that stole the show was the one they had translated into the native language of its audience, “Ngarra Burra Ferra.” The song celebrates freedom from oppression, victory over evil. It became a song of defiance and hope for indigenous Australians.”

“That’s actually really cool,” said Micheal, nodding.

“Yeah.”

We all tried to get some sleep after a minute or so.


	8. Claire's screams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel was starting to get used to the cave. Then this happened.
> 
> In other news, how does Rachel know Korean? Find out in a flashback.
> 
> Also, Hurley conducts his census.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also... from now on, most if not all of the things in italics signifies Korean.

It’s now day thirteen or so on the island and Hurley built a golf course. I only caught wind of this when I heard people from the beach were walking to this field.

All of a sudden, there’s at least twenty or so humans watching four other humans play golf. As to how Hurley found golfing equipment was beyond me.

Before Micheal’s turn, Walt arrived, noting that they left him in the caves.

“Sorry, Walt,” said his father. “We were playing golf. Wanna have a go?”

“Not really.” 

Charlie was currently kneeling on the ground, he king the angle of the ball. Michael chuckled. “Guys, please,” said the blonde. “Never made part on a golf course before.” He hit the ball with the club but missed the hole where Hurley was holding a flag. The people made noises of disappointment or discontent.

“Aww, Dude,” said Hurley. “Rough.”

“Bollocks!” Charlie exclaimed. “See that?”

“Ready Jack?” Micheal asked cooly. “It’s up to you.” He began to rub his hands together. “Sink this you get to wear the blazer.”

The doctor stepped up to his ball. “No pressure,” Kate stated. The rockstar parroted her words.

As the man prepared to make his shot, Hurley bet, “Five bucks says he sinks it.”

Micheal laughed, but Charlie took offense. “Mate, you betting against me?”

“Sorry dude,” said the large man. “But you’re tougher like me.”

“Make it ten,” Boone raised.

“I don’t have any cash,” said one of the others. “But I’ll bet my dinner on the doc.” The crowd made an ooo sound. He and Jack pointed to each other for a small moment.

“I got two tubes of sunscreen and a flashlight, says he chokes,” came Sawyer’s voice. We all turned to see the outcast with a bag. 

“I’ll take that action,” said Kate.

“Me too,” agreed Boone.

“You’re betting against Jack, dumbass,” Shannon told her.

“We’re out of sunscreen, _Princess,”_ he almost mocked the word.

Jack hit and made it in. People celebrated.

Most of us were chilling in the caves for a remainder of the day. My leg was healed, but the cave was nice. As I ate some fruit, Jack came over to talk to me.

“So,” he began. “Your ankle seemed to be doing fine on that golf course,” he noticed.

“Yeah,” I responded, my mouth full of food. I swallowed. “It’s healed up nicely.”

“Don’t get me wrong, but I thought you’d be out of here when it was healed.”

“The Cave is nice.” 

“I thought you didn’t really like the cave.”

“I didn’t, but I do now.” He nodded.

That night, we were all woken up by Claire’s screaming. I thought _I_ had bad nightmares. The blonde was standing in the middle of the cave. My guess is she was sleeping. Charlie grabbed her and calmed her down. That’s when he notices the blood on her hands.

And just when I thought I was getting used to the cave. The bodies were gone, but now Claire got me thinking about blood. I couldn’t sleep the rest of the night. I didn’t want to close my eyes and see my family dead in the kitchen again.

In the morning, Jack said she was squeezing her fists so hard that her nails dug into her palm. Even according to the doctor she had “one hell of a nightmare.”

To try and get my mind off of things, I head down to the beach and start spearfishing. I laid out a tarp from the wreckage that I would use to place the fish in. 

After a few minutes, and after I’ve already caught two fish, I see Jin. “ _Hello,”_ I greeted him in Korean.

 _“Hello,”_ he parroted with a wave. The man had a fish net with him. He cast it.

_“Where did you find the net?”_

_“I made it.”_

_“It’s very well done.”_

He held it out to me. _“Do you want to use it?”_

I shook my head. _“No thank you, I’ll stick with my spear._ ” He nodded. 

We went on with our fishing. What felt like an hour later, we had caught a total of twelve fish. I caught five. He caught seven. We walked into the jungle for a little bit. 

_“How do you know Korean?”_ Jin asked me. 

I stepped over a branch. _“I had a Korean friend. He taught me some and I kept it up.”_

_“Nice.”_

_“My name is Rachel, by the way.”_

_“I’m Jin.”_

From there we split off. I went to visit the people on the beach and bring them food while Jin went back up to the caves.

“And so the teenager returns!” Sawyer announced as soon as he saw me. His arms were crossed as he stood up. “Ooo, and she brought fish.”

“Hello to you too,” I said, walking past him. I cut up the fish and roasted them above a fire. Then I distributed it amongst the people on top of leaf plates. Fish breakfast. Some of them had fruit too.

Upon walking along where the waves meet the sand, I found Kate and Jack talking with each other. They were flirting. I chose to leave them alone.

____

Elena and I were out shopping with a few of our friends. There was Kaylee, Jeong, Jacob, and Jason. The six of us had just come from school. Kaylee (who’s really into those dances) and Jason (who was also really into the school dances) had dragged us all to the clothing store. A school dance was coming up and four of us said that we weren’t going. Neither Kaylee or Jason were having it.

At the store, Kaylee was immediately drawn to a long purple dress with a flowy skirt. She shoved it in my arms. “This would look really good on you. You like dresses that twirl when you spin right? I bet this one will.”

“Um, thanks?” I said.

“Come on, try it on.”

“Okay, fine.” I walked into the changing stall and put it on. Initially I was annoyed, but now I think she was right. I stepped out to find Jason helping Jacob put on a jacket. Kaylee was inspecting a dress that Elena was holding for her and Jeong was pretending to look at blazers. “Well, what do you think?” I asked. They all turned towards me.

“See? I told you it would look good on you,” Kaylee stated. “Give it a twirl.”

I spun around. “Aleumdaun,” Jeong muttered.

“What?” I asked, wondering if he thought I didn’t look good in it.

The Korean teen cleared his throat. “Pretty,” He told me, slightly blushing. “It means pretty.”

I smiled. “Thank you.”

__

It was a Saturday afternoon. Jeong and I were hanging around my house. He was trying to teach me Korean. Things were going well.

I began looking through the dictionary. That’s when I noticed something. “Jeong. Pretty is yeppeun, and _beautiful_ is Aleumdaun.”

He looked into my eyes. “Yes you are.”

I almost gave him a _really?_ face. “Jeong-”

Whatever I was going to say was cut off by Elena. “Hey~!” she greeted the household as she stepped into the door. Oh that’s right. Shit, I forgot. I accidently told them both to come on Saturday. “Ready for some studying?” She walked towards the kitchen and saw Jeong there. “Oh, you already have a study buddy.” She walked closer to the table and noticed the books. “You’re helping her learn Korean?” He was about to say something, but she interrupted her. “I mean it’s great and all, but we have a math test on Monday, and she’s terrible at math.”

____

About six months later, Jeong had to move back to Korea because of his dad’s job. He left a copy of his Korean to English dictionary with me.

That night, Claire screamed again. We all wake up to hear her say, “HELP ME!!!” It almost didn’t sound like words at all. “SOMEBODY’S GOING TO HURT ME, PLEASE!! HELP ME!!!” 

“Someone attacked her,” Charlie said to Jack.

“What?” Jack replied. 

“He held me down,” Claire explained. The others began walking towards them, now on high alert.

“Which way did he go?” asked Charlie. 

“I don’t know, I couldn’t see,” the blonde pregnant lady answered.

“How long-?” Jack tried to ask.

“Just now, just now,” she almost sobbed. “he ran away.”

Hurley ran into the cave. “What’s going on?” I spotted Ethan come in as well. Man, that guy gives me weird vibes.

“We should fan out,” said Charlie, glancing between everyone. “Check the surrounding caves.” 

The doctor placed a hand in front of the blonde trying to stop him. “Wait-hold on-”

But the rock star pushed passed him. “He couldn’t have gotten far.” He faced Hurley and the others. “Hurley, you two, come on!” They rush off into the jungle.

Jack moves to comfort Claire who’s hyperventilating. “Come on,” said the doctor. He led her to the ground. “Let’s sit down, okay?” He then turned to Ethan. “Can you get her some water, man?”

Ethan nodded. “Sure. Yeah, of course.” He then was off. 

Jack and Micheal started berating her with questions.

Knowing that I couldn’t go back to sleep, I sat by one of the torches and began drawing. People were never easy to draw. Always plants. Yet for some reason, I found myself drawing Claire.

In the morning, Hurley began to take note of everyone on the island. He called it a census. The man started with everyone who was still in the caves. Unfortunately, Jin was getting annoyed while Hurley was trying to ask him a bunch of times. 

_“Leichel, what’s he saying?”_ Jin asked me in Korean from across the cave _._

 _“He’s asking you questions for a census,”_ I told him, walking over to the man. _“What’s your name, where you’re from, and your reason for flying.”_ The Korean man told me his answers and I translated it for him. “His name is Jin-soo Kwon. He and his wife, Sun-Hwa Kwon are from Korea. They were taking a trip to Los Angeles. They had a connecting flight in Australia.”

Hurley copied it all down before asking me, “Wait a minute, how do you know Korean?”

“I picked it up a year or so ago,” I told him. 

He wrote my name down before asking, “And why did you fly?”

“To see my aunt and uncle in Manhattan Beach, California.” There I went again, telling half-truths. The large man was about to leave the cave when I shouted. “Hurley! Maybe check the flight Manifest and compare notes!”

He turned to face me. “There’s a manifest?”

“Yeah, Sawyer probably has it.”

The curly-haired man walked away, grumbling something. I figured it was about how Sawyer was the guy who always had _something._

I stared down at my drawing. It was nearly complete, just needed some shading. The drawing of Claire had a neutral expression, looking off into the distance. Her curly light hair framed her face and stopped just below her shoulders. All that was left to do was the shading.


	9. Claire, Kidnapped

It was basically the day now. Kate came into the caves to talk to Jack. About fifteen or so minutes after that, Sayid ran in. He was out of breath and limping towards them. “Sayid?” Kate asked, wondering how he got to be in his state. I just remembered that he had been away for a few days.

The doctor moves to treat him. “Listen,” said Sayid. “On the island - I found her - the woman. She-”

“I need some water!” he shouted. I ran to get it for him. 

When I came back, I arrived just in time to hear him say, “We are not alone.” my eyes widened as I handed jack the bottled water.

Suddenly, Hurley ran in. “Guys! We got a problem!” He panted. “The manifest.” the man tried to catch his breath.

“What about it?” I asked, walking towards him.

“My census -- the names of -- everyone who survived. All forty-six of us. I interviewed everybody. Here. At the beach. Got everyone’s -- name.” He took more time to catch his breath. “But one of them -- one of them isn’t in the manifest.” We all stared at him. “He wasn’t on the plane.”

“ _Who_ wasn’t on the plane?” Kate questioned.

“That Canadian guy -- Ethan -- He isn’t in the passenger manifest.”

“Well, where is he?” Jack asked.

“Don’t know.” Hurley still seemed out of breath. “I talked to him yesterday and-”

“Jack,” Kate tried to get his attention. “Sayid, his leg-”

The doctor began frantically looking around. He looked like his mind was going a thousand miles an hour. “Anybody seen Ethan?” There was no answer from the growing crowd. “Has _anyone_ seen Ethan?” The doc projected.

“Yeah,” said Micheal. “Said he was gonna get wood. Took off on the path to the beach.” He glanced at Sayid. “Is he okay, man? What happened-”

“Where’s Charlie?”

“What?” Kate asked, taking a small step closer to him.

“Where’s Charlie?!?!”

“Didn’t he go after Claire?” I projected. That’s when the doctor sprinted off. Locke went after him. Kate ran after them. I sighed, announcing, “I’ll inform the beach!”

“Hey wait, I don’t really think you should be walking through the jungle alone,” Micheal said.

I stepped out of the caves, saying, “I’m a fast runner.” To my surprise, he didn’t come after me. 

By telling the camp, I may or may not have put the people in panic mode. Others formed search parties and went into the jungle. 

Maybe I should move back to the beach. I wandered up the mountain back to the cave and packed my backpack full of clothes. I didn’t want to lug around my suitcase as cool as it was. Who knows, I might sleep back in the caves again at some point.

But something still bothered me though. I noticed that Sayid was all bandaged up and leaving, so I put my backpack on. “Hey, Sayid?” I asked, catching up with him.

“Yes, Rachel?” He asked, turning towards me.

“I wanted to ask something. Otherwise, it would just bother me for the rest of the day.”

“What is it?”

“What did you mean by, ‘we are not alone?’”

“So you did hear it,” he said, pausing. We stopped. “You’re basically a young adult and you seem trustworthy with information, so I will tell you.” He took a quick glance to see if anyone else was close by. “When Kate, Shannon, Boone, Charlie, Sawyer and I went into the mountain our first week here, we encountered a distress signal in French. When I left the beach a few days ago, I found the woman, or really, she found me. She was… not all there. She was also maybe a bit crazy. Wouldn’t let me leave. I had to escape.”

“And that’s when you ran into the caves?” I guessed.

“Correct.”

“Interesting,” I commented, stating all the syllables. We resumed our walk. Great. That’s one mystery solved, even though I feel like he left a few details out. Now all that’s left is something I’ll probably never figure out. Not if I don’t get off this island.

He stared at me for a moment. “Something else is still bothering you.”

I didn’t feel like lying. “Yes. It is.”

“What is it?” I hesitated. “You can tell me. You keep my secret. I’ll keep yours.”

I sighed. “It’s about my father.”

“What about him?”

“I checked his study before calling the police.”

He stopped and gave me a strange look.

I explained, “He always told people that he worked as an accountant. I never bought it. He kept his study locked. Sometimes people in suits come to our house in black SUVs. Everything about his job was hush hush. It got to the point where I was getting suspicious of him. Then when my family was murdered, I noticed that everything was wrecked as if people were looking for something. So, I checked the study. _That_ was broken in as well. If I could get off this island, I might be able to find out. If I stay here, I might never find out.”

“So then why did you move into the caves?” 

“I wanted to try it out,” I told him.

“And?”

“Claire got kidnapped.”

“So now you’re moving back down?” 

“Yeah.” My lips pursed into a frown. “I’ll leave my luggage there though, in case I ever wanted to go back and stay a night.”

He almost smiled. “So you are a drifter?”

I smiled. “I guess, yeah.” He seemed to peer harder into my eyes as if something was off about them. “What?”

“Your eye color, paired with your hair, is very rare, I believe.”

Auburn (red/brown) wavy hair with hazel eyes that have blue speckles. I averted my gaze. “I’m right-handed, but also left eye dominant. If I ever shoot a gun, I’d have to tilt my head to the right and close the right eye.”

“And how would you know that?”

“Elena. Before we went on the flight, her father took her to a gun range, to make sure she knew how to use one - for safety reasons, I guess. When she came back, she helped me figure out which of my eyes were dominant.”

“I see.” A few minutes of walking through the jungle passed before he asked, “Who was Elena to you?”

“She was my family friend. My best friend… my crush.” Silence passed as if he didn’t know what to say or how to say it. “You don’t have to say anything. I know a lot of people don’t like-“

“It’s fine,” he assured me. I awkwardly nodded.

I settled back into my makeshift tent. And who comes to greet me? The resident outlaw himself. “Well, lookie here. Do my eyes deceive me or is the teenager moving back into the beach?”

“Do you need anything?” I asked him, leaning over my make-shift tent.

“Not particularly,” said the dirty blonde. “But I _would_ like to know. Is your last name Carraway?” 

“Why?” I asked, giving him a suspicious look.

“You wouldn’t have happened to be on the news recently?”

“If I say yes, will you go away?” 

He places his hands on his hips. “That depends. What’s the truth?”

“I was on the news about two weeks ago. Why?”

“Nothin’ I just saw on the news one day while in Australia that the killers of your family were still at large.” He’s right. “Hey, don’t give me that look now.” I didn’t realize I was giving him one. He then scoffed and walked away. “This whole island is weird.” 

What the fuck? Seriously. What. The fuck?

Oh, forget it. 

During the next hours, even days, no one was able to find Claire. No one. Just where did Ethan come from? 


	10. Moving Beaches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The tide is rising way too fast. Also, Rachel attempts to weave a basket.

It’s now day twenty one. Six days or so since Claire has been missing. Somehow I don’t feel any safer on the beach.

The tide has been coming in really fast. According to Sayid, the tide was rising too suddenly. According to the good doctor, the fuselage will be submerged sometime soon. As to when it would be unsubmerged is unclear. We all helped each other move things further up the sand. Luggage and tent material was being washed out. Some of us had to swim to get them back. We ended up dragging most of our things in the tarps we used for tents. 

I overheard Jack’s and Sayid’s conversation and wasn’t all that interested until he mentioned the French woman.

“Sayid, I need you to take me back to the French woman Rousseau,” Jack stated. “Claire’s still out there. Now, Rousseau mentioned that there are others on this island.”

“Her mind is gone,” the Iraqi told him, dragging some luggage further up the beach.

“You heard them yourself.”

“I don’t know what I heard.”

“You said that when you-“

“The _wind_ , Jack. It was the wind playing tricks on me.” He dropped the luggage and the two of them went back down.

Jack grabbed a tarp that just washed up. “Okay then, what about those maps you took from her — the documents, the maps, I mean, isn’t there anything here that-“

“I’m skilled at mathematics and decryption, but these equations are beyond anything I’ve ever seen. There are these notes in French accompanying some of the maps and diagrams. If I could translate them, I might be able to make sense of it, but… ”

“But?”

“Perhaps some things are better left untranslated.” 

Perhaps my father’s job was better off not knowing. If I stay here, I’ll never know.

“Yeah?” Jack pointed to Charlie. “Maybe you should tell him that.” The blonde man in question was just sitting on the beach with a sad look in his eyes. He hasn’t said much since Ethan took Claire.

After about half a day of walking, and dragging all our stuff, we come across this spot. It almost looks like a semicircular tree line. We all sort of sat down and rested before setting anything up.

After I had my rest, I decided to try and weave a basket to put fruit and fish in for when I go gathering. Once I thought I gathered enough vines, I placed them on the sand in front of me.

First I stripped the vines of their leaves and passion fruits. Then I used a piece of shrapnel to cut them.

Okay, so how am I going to do this?

I started by placing four pieces of vines on top of another four pieces. I didn’t have any twine and I didn’t want to use wire so I cut another vine thin enough to be used as some sort of rope. I made a few different ones in case I ran out.

My lips pursed. Now what? 

Just to try it out, I bent one thin piece in half and put four of the base vines in between it. To try and tie it together, I twisted the thin vine around the grouping. Liking it, I did the same to the other three sides. Next, I did it a second time.

That looked cool, but now it seemed like a giant plus sign. Hmmm, maybe if I separate the base vines, it could make the thing more circular? I tried it, twisting the thin vine in between each one.

Okay, now we’re getting somewhere. I repeated the motion until it looked like I had enough of a bottom for my basket. I had to make it big enough for a few fruits and fishes. When one of the spokes ran out, I inserted another one.

Okay. Now I need to make the walls. I need to make them tall and I needed to make the twists tight.

How do I do that?

I don’t know. Give me a moment to think.

I sighed. I was talking to myself again.

Maybe… maybe if I weave the thinner vine over and under. Would the spokes begin to stand up?

I tried it. Thankfully, it looked like it was working. I did it until the thin vine ran out, adding a few more vines into it. Once I felt like it was done, I needed to top it off.

How am I going to do that?

Use the spokes? Is that the word for the base vines? I think it is????

Sure. Let’s do that.

I bent one over (towards the basket), then in front of the spoke next to it. I repeated that until I made it all the way around. There was one more left to bend. I bent it forward then placed it through a loop the first spoke made.

Okay. Now I need a handle. 

How???

Before I got to that, however, I cut the edges of the spokes to make the basket loot neat.

Okay, back to the handles. 

Again. How???

Maybe we use the thin vines?

Yes. The last of the thinly cut vines.

Hmmm. My lips pursed again.

“Oh, hey, that’s cool,” said one of the people. I didn’t really know his name. I think he was the guy who kept asking Jack things about a rash a few days ago.

“Thanks,” I said, looking up at him. “Hey, do you have any idea on how I could make a handle?”

He knelt down and outstretched his hands towards me. “Can I take a look at it?”

“Um, sure?” I handed the basket to him.

He hummed in thought. “You may need to cut some of the patterns out so that you could tie the other vines to them.”

“I mean, it made sense, but what if I make an incision and the basket falls apart?”

“Huh.” He stood with his hands on his hips. “You may be right about that. Maybe if you tie a few of the thin vines to the top ones where they overlap…”

I stared up at him. “I’ll, uh, try that. Yeah. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” he said before walking away.

I tried my way, tying a few to the top. Next, I braided them together until I had just enough to tie to the other side. 

Well, I think it looks great. I placed a few of my things in the backseat to test it’s integrity. 

“Yay!” I said in a mini celebration.

Now that that was finished, I decided that I would try and grab more fruit. I found myself singing as I walked through the jungle. It was the same song my mother used to sing to me when I was younger.

“I have a dream, a song to sing. To help cope with anything. If you see the wonder of a fairy tale, you can take the future. Even if you fail. I believe in angels. Something good in everything I see. I believe in angels. When I know the time is right for me, I’ll cross the stream, I have a dream.

I have a dream, a fantasy. To help me through reality. And my destination makes it worth the while. Pushing through the darkness. Still another mile. I believe in angels. Something good in everything I see. I believe in angels. When I know the time is right for me, I’ll cross the stream. I have a dream. I’ll cross the stream. I have a dream.”

A twig snapped behind me.

I turned to find Mr. Locke and Boone. “Oh, don’t stop on our account,” said the bald man. “It sounded rather nice.” Those two have been going into the jungle and definitely not catching any boar.

“Um, thanks.” I quickly walked away.

I soon found a bunch of fruits growing on a vine. I believed they were passion fruits. They too were greenish, but they weren’t quite like the guava. Putting a few in my basket, I walked back towards the camp to grab my spear.

Across the way, Shannon was trying to translate Rousseau’s notes while Sayid was attempting to tackle the math.

I went out to go fishing and came back with five. For dinner, I plated the fish and fruit on large leaves and distributed it to the people.

The next night, I took a notice of the people around me. Rose was helping Charlie cope with Claire’s kidnapping. Kate was fiddling with a toy plane she probably found off of some kid or something. Shannon was singing something in French to Sayid. It may or may not have been the French writings on the maps. The melody sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place it. Her voice sounded nice. 


	11. Hurley's Fishing Attempt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hurley goes to Rachel to help him find a good fishing spot. It doesn't go as well as they hoped.

Hurley approached me on day twenty four. I was in the middle of attempting to weave a wall for my tent. The plane part I was using doesn’t work any more for a wall  _ and _ a roof. What I was attempting to do was get a few large branches for my posts and stab them into the sand. Then I’d have a weaved back wall and a wide roof going downward. It would connect to two other posts in front. I’d think of the side walls later.

“Hey, Rachel?” Asked Hurley as he walked up to me. He held a makeshift net. I was weaving part of the wall.

“Yeah?” I asked, turning to him.

“Whoa.” He took not of my tent. “You can weave too?” 

“Just picked it up because I was bored. I made a basket too.” I picked it up and showed it to him. The spear he gave me was inside it.

“Cool.”

“So, what do you need?” 

He rebalanced his weight. “Do you know where a good fishing spot is? The only guy who’s catching a bunch of them from the caves is Jin, and I’m pretty sure he has it out for me.”

I fought back a giggle. “Why?”

“Ever since I refused to try some of his urchins way back when, I feel like he has it out for me.”

I didn’t want to tell him that it was an absurd notion. “So, you came to ask me instead?” He nodded. “Um, sure. Follow me.” I adjusted my grip on the woven item.

“By the way, do you know what’s going on with Boone and Locke? They keep saying that they’re out in the woods hunting boar, but they haven’t caught any.”

“I don’t know what to tell you man, I don’t talk with them.”

We walked through the jungle, close to the sand. We saw Kate show Jack a garden that Sun was putting together. After about a quarter mile, the two of us came across a small beach.

Jin was already there, casting a net.

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me,” said Hurley.

I glanced at him. “What? This  _ is _ the best place to catch fish.”

“Yeah, okay,” Hurley said in a downbeat tone.

_ “Hey, Jin,”  _ I greeted him. He glanced up from his net and waved at me.

Jin gestured towards Hulery.  _ “What’s this guy doing with you?” _ The Korean asked me.

_ “I’m showing him the best place to get fish.” _

_ “Can he fish?”  _ He faced me while casting his net into the sea water. 

I shrugged.  _ “We’ll see.” _

“What did you say?” Hurley asked me, walking right next to me.

“Nothing of consequence,” I told him. I clapped my hands together. “So, how would you like to catch a fish?”

He held up his net. “That’s why I have this.” 

“Okay.” I stepped back and let him do his thing. 

_ “I’ve been meaning to ask”  _ said Jin, walking up to me with his catches.  _ “Why do you use a spear? The net catches a lot more.” _

I faced him.  _ “I prefer to kill them when I catch them, Jin. Besides, when I was younger, my father used to take us out to the reef. We’d go snorkeling there all the time. Then when I got a little older, he taught me how to spear fish. If I had goggles, I could swim far out.”  _ I gestured to the sea.  _ “Catch things other than the fish we’ve been getting and the sea urchins.” _

He nodded. We looked back at Hurley. He was trying to imitate what he saw Jin do earlier, but he wasn’t having any success.  _ “He doesn’t seem to be much of a fisher,” _ Jin noted. 

The Korean was about to leave when Hurley yelled out in pain. He hopped to the shore and plopped down to the sand in a rather ungraceful manner. Now we  _ had _ to help him.

“Damn it! Awgh! God! That—damnit!” Hurley cursed.

_ “What did you do?”  _ Jin asked him.

“I stepped on one of those damn friggin’ URCHINS.” Hurley clutched his foot in pain. Then he started rambling about something he saw on TV. Jin kept trying to tell the guy to pull the spines out. I tried to translate for him, but Hurley was still shouting at us. So, I end up pulling one of the spines out for them. As soon as I do, Hurley yanks his foot backwards. “Ow!! What are you doing?” He asked me.

“Pulling the spines out,” I explained. He seemed to relax. “Now stay still.” I then turned to Jin.  _ “Could you help me, please?” _

Reluctantly, the man nodded, gingerly forcing one of the spines out. Again, Hurley cried out in pain. Once we were done, the big man sat up, nursing his swollen foot.

“Are you sure you don’t speak English?” Hurley asked Jin as we searched for sea urchins. “Because there’s a rumor that you do.” Jin gave him no reaction. “Your wife is hot.”

“Dude!” I scolded. Jin merely stared at the man before butting open an urchin and handing it to him. 

“I get it,” Hurley told him. “This is some kind of payback ‘cause I wouldn’t eat urchin that other time, right?”

Jin smiled, pushing the sea creature towards him. “Here. Please.”

“I eat this… you give me fish. Right?” The Korean didn’t give him an answer. “Okay fine.” He took it. “Over the lips and past the gums, yada yada. Oh god.” He closed his eyes and popped the meat down his throat.

Jin gave him a big smile. Hurley tried to smile back but ultimately ended up vomiting his guts out in the sand. The Korean looked back at me. We both wince.

“You know what, forget it,” said Hurley, standing up. “I’ll be in the cave.”

“Feel better, man,” I called after him. He waved his hand. Once he left, I sighed.

Looking over at the Korean man, I noticed that we both felt bad.  _ “If I catch a fish, can you gut it for me?”  _ I suggested to Jin.  _ “You can give the fish to him when you see him.” _

_ “Why?” _

_ “I don’t know, as a token for showing that we feel bad?” _

He thought about it then nodded. I stabbed the fish and left.

On my way back to camp, I collected some seeds. I didn’t know what they were, but they didn’t look like Passion fruit or guava seeds. They were black, but they weren’t slimy. Maybe I’ll give them to Kate and Sun. 

Once I got to their garden, I heard Kate and Sun speaking in English. Not wanting to startle them, I say in Korean, “ _ Sun? Are you there?” _

There was silence for a second then,  _ “Yeah, what is it?” _

I stepped into the little clearing.  _ “I found these seeds,”  _ I told her, holding out my hand.  _ “I figured you could use them for your garden.” _

_ “Oh,”  _ she smiled.  _ “Thank you.”  _ She dug a little space for them to grow. She was covering them up when she stopped abruptly and looked at me.  _ “Um, Leichel, where did you learn Korean?” _

_ “Someone I used to know.”  _ I switched to English. “Where did you learn English?”

“Rachel-“ she was about to tell me to keep it a secret.

“Don’t worry,” I cut her off. “Your secret is safe with me.” Oh my god, Jin doesn’t know, does he? Huh. That’ll create some problems down the line. I smiled and nodded to Kate before leaving them alone.

  
  



	12. Ethan's Return

I sat in my finished tent on day twenty-seven. I attempted to capture the likeness of a cat. There weren’t any on the island, but I figured, why not? 

After it was completed, I stepped outside. I was hunched over for a bit while trying to draw it, sitting with my legs crossed. Some stretching would do me some good.

Locke, Charlie, Jack, and Sayid were speaking amongst each other discreetly. At the moment, I didn’t exactly care what about. 

I moved my hair away from my face. My wavy auburn hair was getting longer than I wanted it to. It almost reached past my breasts. That’s a bit too long in my book. So, I took my basket and my spear up the mountain into the cave. After I cut my hair, I would go fishing.

Upon arriving at the cave, however, I spotted Claire. She was back. Cautiously, I went up to her. “Hey, Claire.” I smiled.

She gave me a weird look. “Uh, hi. Who are you?”

So, whatever happened to her out there gave her amnesia? “Uh, I’m Rachel. It’s… good to see you’re alive. Everyone was getting worried. Especially Charlie.”

“Really?” She almost didn’t seem to believe it.

“Yeah. It was almost kind of sweet.”

She looked at me a bit strangely. “Sorry, where are you from?”

“New Zealand. I’m a kiwi.”

“Ohhhh. Thought so.”

“Well, I’ll see you around.”

“Yeah. Sure.”

I wandered over to the medical corner. Somehow there was a cabinet in there. If _that_ was here, then why wouldn’t scissors be? I checked the top drawer. Nothing. I checked the second drawer. Bingo. They were yellow-handled scissors. If I had a dime for every time I saw one of those, I might have two dollars. Or maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration.

I brought my hair in front of my shoulders. Next, I measured where I wanted to cut my hair with my fingers. Just below the shoulders, maybe where the armpits are. I ended up snipping closer to my shoulder. Taking the hair that fell to the ground, I tossed them into the fire. 

Then, I approached Claire. “How’s it look?”

She studied my hair length. “Pretty good, actually.”

I smiled. “Thanks.” I was about to exit the caves when Jin came in. _“What happened?”_

 _“The blonde guy and I were walking in the woods, then something hit my chest and I was knocked out,”_ he told me.

Sun came rushing in, asking my same question. He gave her the same answer. As she tended to his wound, she asked, _“What do you think is going on?”_

 _“What’s going on?”_ He responded. _“How would I know?”_

_“Maybe the others understand-“_

_“The others? I was attacked because of what they have done.”_

I took that as my cue to leave. 

Two days later, I was walking back from a late fish run. I caught five of them. The sky wasn’t too dark, but the day was gloomy. No one wanted me to be alone after Ethan had killed Scott, but I didn’t want to be a burden to anyone. Besides, I have this spear. I basically know how to use it. 

I was walking in the woods when I encountered Ethan. Immediately I raised my spear towards him.

“Easy now,” he said with his hands outstretched towards me. They were open-palmed, facing me. His arms were still bent. “I’m not gonna hurt ya.”

“And why would I believe _anything_ you say?” I took a step forward. “You kidnapped Claire!”

“For a good reason,” he responded, taking a step back. Suddenly it began to rain.

“And what would that be?”

“Now, I know that you’re Sam’s daughter, but you live with the crashies. I can’t tell you my reason.” He sounded so calm.

Angered, I took another step forward. “What the hell does my father have to do with anything on this island?”

“More than you would think Rachel.”

I flinched, taken aback by the information. “What does that mean?”

“What do _you_ think?” That felt like a rhetorical question.

“Did he used to work here? Come here?”

“Now, it wouldn’t be very easy if I just gave the answers to you, huh?”

“ _What_?”

“Goodbye, Rachel.”

I stepped forward, wanting to go after him. Huh? I felt my leg get wrapped around by something. Then I was pulled into the air. “Wha-whoa!”

Luckily, I still had the spear in my hand. I cut myself down and ran after him.

After a few minutes, I saw Charlie shoot the man in the chest six times. Flashbacks of walking into the kitchen and finding my family dead on the floor flooded into my mind. It was getting hard to breath. I dropped my spear.

“Rachel,” said one of them. “Rachel!” I snapped out of my trance, recognizing Kate’s voice. Her hand was on my shoulder. I pushed it off.

I turned towards Charlie, ignoring Jack’s questions. “Charlie, you daft bloody git!” I shouted, moving to punch him. Sawyer grabbed me. His big strong arms wrapped around me.

“Settle down,” the southern man told me.

“Ethan was THE ONLY ONE WITH ANSWERS!!!” I shouted at the rockstar, trying to fight Sawyer’s grip. “Get off me!” I shouted, kicking.

“Kid, calm down, damn it!”

“Ethan knew what happened to my father!” The others shared a look.

“Kid, what-“ I hit him in the balls. He let go immediately and stumbled to the ground.

I wanted to yell at Charlie some more, but I took one look at his face and I suddenly didn’t have the energy. I fell to my knees, sobbing.

Kate approached me. She knelt down and placed a hand on my shoulder. “Let’s get you back to your tent, yeah?” Her voice was gentle, soothing. Her hand moved to wipe away one of my cascading tears.

I sniffled and nodded. She helped me up and we walked away in silence. The men followed soon after.

In the morning, Jack came to visit me. The man approached my tent as I was doodling. “Knock knock.”

“What do you want?” I asked before I could stop myself. I wasn’t trying to be rude.

“What happened last night?” 

I walked out of my tent and plopped down on the sand. I could tell that the others who were there, Sayid, Locke, the whole bunch, were within earshot. At the moment, I didn’t really care. The doctor joined me. “Ethan approached me-“

“He _what?”_

“Earlier that day. I raised my spear at him, in order to defend myself.” I chose not to meet his gaze, instead going to play with the sand. “But I didn’t need to.”

“What do you mean?”

“He-he-he-he told me he wouldn’t hurt me. H-his hands,” I lifted mine from the sand. They were shaking. “They were up as if telling me to take it easy. I asked him why, pointing out that he kidnapped Claire.” My hands were still shaking so I placed them in my lap, one on top of the other. “H-he-e told me there was a good reason for that. I asked why…” finally, I faced him. “And his exact words, I kid you not, were, ‘Now, I know that you’re Sam’s daughter, but you live with the crashies. I can’t tell you my reason.’ My father’s name _was_ Sam.”

“Was?” 

“Why do you think I was on the plane, Jack?” I asked, my tone was dry. “I came home one day to find my family laying dead in the kitchen with pools of blood. Dad never told anyone—including his own family—what he did for a living. He always said he was an accountant. No one asks questions when they say they’re an accountant. Anyway, I got home, and I saw the bodies. The next thing I did was check the study. Dad usually kept it locked.” I sat straighter. “The room was trashed. I checked my phone. Turned out he sent me a voicemail to come home immediately and start packing. _Then_ I called the cops. I mean, what the heck?”

“You weren’t _visiting_ your aunt and uncle,” Jack gathered. “You were going to live with them.”

“Yeah.” I huffed out a small laugh. “From one trauma right into another.” I glanced around and found Charlie resting against a tree. He looked pretty bad. “You should check in with Charlie. I’m going to go back for my spear and basket.”

“You mean _this_ spear?” Came Kate’s voice. “And _this_ basket _?”_ I turned to see her holding both items. The basket still had fish in it. “I’m not sure how fresh the fish is now though.”

“When’d you retrieve them?”

“Early this morning.”

“Uhm, thank you.” I walked towards the woman and grabbed my things.

I got rid of the fish before going back into my tent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the heck did Rachel's father do for a living?


	13. The Raft

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone burned Micheal's raft

We’ve been out on this island for a full month now. It’s still funny to me that a boar only attacked Sawyer two days ago. Even funnier is that the man went after the damn beast to try and kill it. It was just a boar. But Sawyer didn’t think so.

Today, most people were hanging around on the beach. The nice day was interrupted by Sun and Jin arguing. _Again_. Not only that, but they were arguing about Sun wearing a bikini. 

Micheal walked up to them, trying to defend Sun. I was about to try and pull the man away, but Sun slapped him. For whatever reason, there’s always been animosity between Micheal and Jin. So why was Sun the one to slap him? Married couple’s business, I guess.

In other news, Micheal, Sawyer, and some others are building a raft to get off this rock. It looks like a mini ship. They got baboo, wiring, and other building materials. It was really starting to come together. 

Well, that is until it was set ablaze. By whom, I do not know. What I _do_ know is that Jin tried to put it out but got his hands burned so he ran off. Everyone else ran towards it, trying to dump sand on it. Apparently sand is fire retardant. Just learning this now, folks.

When Micheal ran down to the beach, panic speed first. He joined everyone else in trying to put the fire out. Soon though, he realized the attempt was fruitless. He sat there, staring at his demolishing creation. Devastation showed on his face next. Then anger. 

When Micheal saw Sun, his anger got worse. “Where’s Jin?!” He demanded. “Where is he?!”

Jack stepped between them. “She doesn’t understand you, man!” 

I sighed. If only he knew.

“Hey! Where is he?!” 

Kate marched up to the black man. “Back off.”

“No!” He stated firmly. He then pointed an accusatory finger at her. “Her husband did this, and she knows.” He faced the Korean woman. “You’re trying to protect him now, is _that_ it?”

“She was with _me_!” Kate tried to tell him off.

Walt arrived, trying to throw sand at the fire. Micheal, concerned for his son, moved him back. “Walt, hey Walt. Get back. Get back.”

“But I was-“ Walt tried.

“No. No it’s done.”

Sun ran off. Kate yelled, “Sun! Wait!” But it was futile.

“I’m going to break his damn neck,” Micheal decided, moving to go after Sun. Kate, Jack, and myself step in his way.

“Take it easy man,” Jack advised. “We don’t know that Jin did this.”

Angered, Sawyer walked towards the doctor. “Are you serious?!”

“Sawyer, shut up!”

“Jack, come on,” Charlie tried to persuade him. “We _saw_ him on the beach this morning.”

“That doesn’t mean that he torched the raft.”

“Yeah?” asked Micheal. His hands were on his hips now. His face told me that he was rightly pissed. “Then who did, Jack?”

I didn’t really go back to sleep. I watched the sun rise until it was well into the sky. It must have been 10:00 or so. Wishing I had coffee or hot chocolate, I saw Sawyer, angrily march into the jungle. I knew where he was going. To find Jin.

Quickly, I sprinted after him. 

“Sawyer!” I shouted in a disapproving tone. He ignored me and picked up his pace. I quickened my own pace. When I finally caught up to him, I grabbed his arm. He stopped and turned towards me, yanking his arm free. “Jin didn’t set fire to the boat.”

“Of course he did,” Sawyer responded, resuming his walk. 

He found Jin by the river, washing his hands. The blonde kicked him. “Sawyer!” I shouted again. 

Forcefully, he took the Korean man down to the beach. I tried to get him to let the guy go the whole way down, but it was useless. Jin fell on the sand. Micheal perked up as soon as he saw him. 

“Micheal!” Shouted Jack, walking up to them. “Take it easy.”

“I’ll take it easy alright!” Responded Micheal. He got up and fast-walked towards him.

“Hang on, man,” Hurley told him. “You’ve got to slow down. Slow down!”

Micheal ignored him. Instead, he pointed at Jin. “Hey, man. Did you burn my raft?!”

Jack ran up to Micheal trying to get in front of him. “Just calm down. Calm down and take a breath.”

“You burn my raft?! Why’d you burn my raft, man?!”

Others began to gather around. “Just calm down and think about this for a minute,” Jack urged.

“Look at his hands, man.” Micheal pointed to Jin's hands. “They’re burned.”

“Back off, Jack,” said Sawyer. “It’s got nothing to do with you.”

“Shut it!” Jack told the blonde.

Sun appeared on the beach. Jin tried to tell her that it wasn’t him.

Angrily, Micheal turned to Jin’s wife, demanding, “What’d he say?” Jin repeated his words. The black man turned to him. “You say something to me?!”

“Micheal,” Jack tried. “Michael.”

“No. Say it again.”

 _“I didn’t set the fire!”_ Jin told him.

Jack tried to stop Micheal from running at the Korean. “Micheal!”

The man ignored him. 

_“Okay? Huh?”_ Jin tried, but the architect punched him.

Jack tried to grab Micheal, but Sawyer grabbed the doctor. The two of them began to argue, but Sayid agreed with Sawyer, shutting Jack up.

 _“It was already on fire when I went!”_ Jin tried again. As Micheal slugged him again and again, he tried to explain how his hands became burned.

“Stop it!” Sun screamed, earning a shocked reaction from everyone but Micheal, Kate, and myself. I watched Jin carefully. His face showed shock and utter betrayal. “He didn’t burn your raft.”

“You speak English?” Charlie asked Sun, shocked.

“Didn’t see that coming,” Hurley commented.

“You understand us?” Jack questioned the woman. “All this time? Why didn’t you say anything?”

I wanted to pull the focus away from her. “He was trying to put the fire out,” I explained to the people. “I saw him try to throw sand at the boat. That’s when he burned his hands.”

“Then why did he run?” Micheal wondered.

Sun asked him the same question, but Jin didn’t reply.

“Exactly,” said the architect. “That’s what I thought.”

“My husband is many things,” said Sun. “But he is not a liar.”

Sawyer turned towards her. “You're going to lecture us about lying, Betty? From the look on his face, even your old man here didn't know you speak English. How do we know she's not covering for him?”

Locke appeared on the beach, saying, "Because she isn’t. Why would he burn the raft?”

Micheal came up with a paranoid answer. “He’s been after me since day one. Everybody knows it. What if-“

Locke cut him off. “Okay, it's personal, but why take it out on our best chance of getting off the Island? Why would anyone of us block an attempt to get home? We're so intent on pointing the finger at one another that we're ignoring the simple undeniable truth that the problem isn't here, it's there!” He pointed to the jungle. “They've attacked us, sabotaged us, abducted us, murdered us! Maybe it's time we stop blaming us and start worrying about them! We're not the only people on this Island and we all know it!” The bald man then walked away.

“He did. Not. Do it,” Sun told everyone. Slowly, the people trickled away. I did too, leaving Sun and Jin to talk. Even then, the Korean man didn’t want to speak with her. He walked away, back into the cave.

Micheal couldn’t salvage anything from the burned raft.

While walking to get fish, I saw Sun in her bikini. She looked free as she stepped into the water.

The next day, Jin came down to the beach with a bunch of bamboos. “Boat,” he said to Micheal. The architect nodded. I went to help them start rebuilding the raft and translated things for Jin. 


	14. Hurley won the lotto?

Micheal, Jin, Sawyer, Hurley, Walt and I were putting together this boat. It was working surprisingly well. The waves made for some good white noise. It’s day Thirty-five on the island. Four more days and I would expect Jeff Probst to pop out of the bushes somewhere to declare the winner. 

Well, four of us are building it anyway. Sawyer is just sitting there reading. As to why he would be reading A Wrinkle In Time, I did not know.

“ _Tighten it to fix it,”_ Jin was trying to tell Hurley. The big man was trying to tie a few bamboo sticks together.

“Hold on a second, you want what?” He asked the Korean. Jin made a motion with his hands. “You want to make snowballs?”

“He wants you to hold the bamboo tighter,” Michael and I told him simultaneously. The four of us shared a weird glance before returning to our tasks.

Jack walked up to us. “Hey.” Three of us looked down at him as we were on the new boat.

“Hey,” Micheal parroted.

“How’s it coming?”

“It’s coming.”

“As long as nobody sabotages this one as well, huh?”

Micheal shrugged. “I’ve got people standing guard 24-7. Nobody gets near this with or without intent to burn.” He then crouched down. “Hey, listen, I was thinking, chances of a passing ship spotting this raft out there are pretty slim. We could use something to send out a distress call to any ships that might be close, like an SOS.”

Jack nodded. “Okay, well, look I'll ask Sayid, but even if he can make something like that he's not going to have anything to power it with.”

“Didn’t Sayid say that crazy French chick has batteries?” Hurley wondered.

“Probably yeah,” the doctor agreed. The two of them went to Sayid’s tent.

A few hours later, I was eating lunch in my tent trying to sketch what the boat might look like when it was finished. When I walked back, Hurley approached me.

“Can I tell you something weird?” Hurley asked.

“Shoot,” I said.

“I won the lotto.”

We stopped walking as I gave him a strange look. “Why would that be weird?”

“Those are the same numbers that France lady wrote down.”

I crossed my arms. “What?” 

Wait a minute… 

I walked over to Sayid and asked, “Can I see Rousseau’s papers? I want to check something.”

“Sure,” the Iraqi allowed it.

I stared at the numbers. Hurley was right. Actually, now that I thought about it, I saw Hurley on TV. He won using these numbers. “These numbers,” I trailed off.

“I thought they were coordinates, but they don’t seem to be.”

“They’re lotto numbers.”

“What? Why would Rousseau have been writing down lottery numbers?”

“I’m not sure, maybe we can find them written down somewhere on the island, but I know for a fact that some lucky bastard used these numbers to win the lottery. The lotto went on a dry spell, winner-wise for a few days, then all of a sudden, someone wins using these numbers. It made TV.”

“Really?” Asked Sayid, taking the papers back.

“Yeah.”

The next day came. Walt, Micheal, Jin, myself, and Sawyer showed up to build the raft, Hurley did not.

Sayid came up to me. “Did you take Rousseau’s papers?”

I stopped hammering and looked at him. “If I’m remembering correctly, I handed it to you yesterday. Is it actually missing?”

His face adopted a look of fear. “Yes, um thank you, Rachel, but I uh—have you seen Hurley today?”

I sat back and glanced around. He still wasn’t here. “No.” Sayid ran off. “Bye!” He waved.

I resumed hammering the boat with Micheal. In an irritated voice, Sawyer asked us, “Do you want to hit that a little harder?”

Annoyed, Micheal stopped and glared at the blonde. “I’m sorry. Is my building a raft to get us rescued bothering you?”

“At the moment? Yeah.”

“Why aren’t _you_ helping?” Walt questioned.

“Excellent point, Walt,” I agreed.

He stared at us. “I _am_ helping, children. I'm keeping watch for arsonists.”

“You _could_ pitch in though,” I told him. “I’m not even going and I’m helping. Besides, didn’t you buy your way on the raft?”

The bamboo was starting to break.

 _“I tied the bamboo all night!”_ Jin told us.

Micheal faced the Korean. “Hey, did you tie this like I told you?! If you tied this like I told you the thing would still be together! What's the matter with you man?! What is your problem?!”

“He was tying it all night,” I told the boat’s engineer.

“Not very well apparently.”

Sawyer left as Jin and Micheal engaged in another argument. Both of them tried to get me to translate for them.

A few hours later, Hurley returned with some of the others. He went back to building the raft with us. As to how he now has a battery, I’m not exactly sure.

Day thirty nine on this fricking island. The raft was really coming together though. So that’s one upside. Too bad I wouldn’t be able to go, I mean, I’m assisting in getting this thing built. At the same time though, if I want to figure things out, I should probably stick to the island. Walt really wants to leave. He’s got a calm exterior, but if you ask him, he’ll develop this small bit of panic. It was as if he saw something strange in a dream, like Claire.

Jack came up to Jin, Micheal, and I as we worked on the boat. “I was going to ask you how this was going, but it's coming together fast.”

Micheal glanced up from his work, saying, “The fire wasn't a total loss. We learned a few things from building the first one which is saving us from trial and error. Now it's just,” he glanced at Jin. “Trial.”

_ “I’ll tie it up and fix it,”  _ Jin stated.

“Yeah, yea yeah,” Micheal agreed.

The Korean gestured to the sky.  _ “Before it gets dark!” _

“Yeah, man. I know. Now, now now.”

Jack stared at the man. “Picking up on a little Korean there, Micheal?”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure I know how to say: faster and idiot.”

I smiled and looked at the doctor. “I helped.”

“Nice,” replied Jack. He then saw Sawyer and walked after him.

I spotted Sayid tampering with different glasses. I was taking a break from building the boat, so I decided to go over there. 

“What are you doing with those glasses?”

“Sawyer needs two different prescriptions,” Sayid explained to me.

Really?” Then it hit me. “Oh, that’s why he was squinting really hard at his books and acting like he had a headache.”

“Yep.” I glanced at the finished product. Two sides to two different glasses were welded together. The left side was one of those cat eye glasses that some women have while the other one was just a rectangle. I smiled at how silly it looked. Sayid noticed. “It is quite amusing, isn’t it?”

I chuckled. Just picturing those on him was funny to me. “Yeah.”


	15. Claire Gives Birth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jin and Rachel were fixing up the boat when they heard a cry for help. Rachel wasn’t expecting this...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m back guys!

Day forty one on the island. We’ve passed a whole season of Survivor, folks.

As Jin chopped bamboo, we ate fish. I still thought Sawyer looked funny with his glasses. Walt was trying to not let his fish get burned as I ate mine. Sawyer was nursing his lunch over the flames. 

Claire approached the lounging group. “Hey, mamacita,” Sawyer greeted. “You want some fish?”

“No thanks,” Claire told him. “I’m not really hungry.” She glanced at the raft. “How long do you think ‘til it’s ready?”

“Maybe a week. Maybe less,” Micheal considered. He studied the pregnant woman a little. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” She began to walk away. “Alright, I’ll see you guys later.”

“She likes me,” Sawyer joked.

I shrugged with pursed lips. The con man’s statement was debatable.

Micheal turned towards Jin who still worked on the raft. “Hey, Jin! Jin!” He got the man’s attention. “Want some fish?” He held up his skewered lunch. I caught that one, by the way. 

Jin waved the boat’s architect off. 

“That man’s got what I call an overzealous work ethic,” Sawyer commented.

“Try obsession,” Micheal joined him. “He wants to get off this rock  _ bad _ , man.”

“Can't say I blame poor Kato. His lady speaks English all this time and he didn't have a clue? I'm surprised he didn't try to swim out of here. Hell, I would've.”

Kate walked towards us, saying, “Sawyer, I need your alcohol. Now!” She looked panicked. The only reason she’d possibly be asking for the entire stash of alcohol was if someone was seriously injured. Sawyer went to give the bottles to her.

“That’s a first,” I commented. “Sawyer giving things for free.”

“Maybe he’s tired of bargaining or something,” Micheal inputted.

A few hours or so later, I was helping Jin with the raft. The other three had called it quits for the day. If I had to guess, it was probably 4:00 pm or so. That’s when we heard a faint cry for help. We looked between each other.

_ “From the jungle,”  _ I noted.  _ “Straight ahead?” _

_ “Let’s find out,” _ Jin stated before running off.

I hopped off the raft and began running after him when Micheal came up to me, asking, “Where’re you guys going?”

“We thought we heard something. It’s nothing serious… I think. We’ll be back.” I could tell that he wanted to question me further, but I ran after Jin before he could say anything to me.

Okay, now I was beginning to regret running while trying to digest my food. But I still had to keep going.

A minute or so later, I found Kate and Claire. “Where’s Jin?” I asked them.

“He went to get Jack,” Kate told me.

I approached Claire. “Probably a stupid question, but how ya feeling?”

“Not great,” Claire responded. She groaned in pain. 

Oh shit, she’s having contractions, isn’t she?

It’s sunset. Kate’s tending to the fire. I held Claire’s hand so that she could have something to squeeze when she felt pain. But then, her grip eased up. 

“They’ve stopped,” the pregnant lady told us.

“That happens, I think,” said Kate, nodding, not exactly sure.

Claire tried to stand up. “No, no, I’m okay, really.”

“Claire I don’t think you should-“ I tried. 

The woman glanced down abruptly. “What was that?”

“I think your water just broke,” Kate told her.

“No, no, no, no, no,” Claire was about to start pacing, but she couldn’t. 

“Yeah, no, no, I think you, okay-”

Claire sat back down on the log in a panic. “No, I can’t have the baby now.”

“Just hold on-“

“I can’t have the baby now!”

“Just hold on,” Kate repeated. “Jack’s coming.” She sounded so sure. “He’s coming.”

Soon, the contractions restarted. I held her hand again. “Oh, gods that hurts,” Claire stated. This sky was black now.

We heard Charlie’s voice. “Kate?!” He and Jin emerged from the trees and the darkness. “Claire, is she okay?”

“Where’s Jack?” Kate asked him rather impatiently.

Charlie looked hesitant to answer, but he pulled her a little bit away from us. Claire groaned in pain again. “You’re doing great.”

I’m not exactly sure what the rock star said but Kate responded, “What?!” I glanced over to find the woman panicked.

“Now, he talked me through it-“ Charlie began to say, but Kate refused. “It’s relatively simple.”

She raised her voice. “I can’t do this!” 

“Yes, you can,” he reassured her. He then reached into his pack and brought a small assortment of throngs out. “I have water. I have towels.”

Kate then told him something in a hushed voice. Charlie responded in an equal tone. Jin walked up to us, saying,  _ “It won’t take long. Try to relax.” _ This man was trying to calm her down.

Claire turned to me so I translated. “He said it won’t take long, so try to relax.”

“You know I was out there for over a week -- days I can't remember,” the blonde woman told us. “I mean, what if, what if they did something to the baby? I'm not ready for this. I'm not -- I'm so scared. I'm scared.”

Kate finally came back to us, saying, “I’m scared, too. But we’re going to get through this together, okay?”

Claire nodded. I stood slightly, still grasping the pregnant woman’s hands. With my hands and in Korean I told the men,  _ “You might want to get back and let us handle this.” _

Jin nodded and took Charlie by the arm. “What’s going on?” the blonde man tried to ask him. He turned back to look at Claire as the Korean man took him to a large fallen tree.

Soon Claire’s contractions became shorter. “Okay, Claire,” said Kate. “I think this is about the time you're supposed to start pushing, okay? So, push.” The blonde woman held her breath. “And, don't hold your breath, honey. You won't be able to push if you -- Claire?” The grip on my hand became tighter. “Claire, what are you doing? Oh, no, no, no, Claire, you need to push, right now.” Kate became even more panicked. Honestly, I was too. Claire wasn’t pushing. In fact, she might have been trying to hold it in.

“Don't do this, Claire, okay?” I tried to persuade her. “You were doing great. You can't stop, the baby has to come out. We  _ need _ your help.”

“It’s not going to want me!!” Claire shouted.

We gave her a confused look. “What?”

“It knows I don’t want it—that I was going to give it away. Babies know that stuff.”

“Do you want this baby now?” Kate asked her. “Do you want it to be safe and healthy?” Claire nodded. “Okay, then the baby knows that too. You are not alone in this. We are all here for you. This baby is all of ours, but I need you to  _ push,  _ okay? Okay?” The pregnant woman nodded again. “Alright. One, two, three, push!” Claire shouted in pain. “Good, good, push!”

“You can do this Claire, push!” I encouraged her. “You gotta breathe too, okay? Take deep breaths.” She squeezed my hand again while shouting and taking in large amounts of air.

“I think it’s close,” said Kate, checking. “C'mon. Go, go, go. That's really good. C'mon, I think it's close. Okay, good, good, good. I can see it. I can see the top of its head. I can see it. I can see it, okay. You're almost there. You're so close, you're so close. Ready, ready? C'mon, one more. Push, push, push, push, push!” Claire yelled out in pain for the last time. As Kate checked the newborn over, all Claire could do was breathe. “Oh, you have a little boy.” She handed it to the woman. 

“I have a son,” said Claire, almost not believing it. Then more cheerfully, she repeated her words.

Behind us, I heard Jin and Charlie celebrating.

By morning we had wandered back to camp and cut the umbilical cord. Once Claire emerged from her tent with the baby in hand, the others flocked to greet them.

Then, I noticed Shannon and Sayid walking back to camp on the beach. I hadn’t even realized they had left. Jack approached them, then Shannon fell to the ground. That’s when I knew that something happened to Boone. Judging by Shannon’s intense reaction, her stepbrother most likely died.  _ That _ was why Jack couldn’t be there for the baby’s birth. Suddenly I didn’t feel so cheerful anymore.

  
  



	16. Funeral

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boone’s funeral. Rachel finally interacts with Shannon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m baaaack.

The sky was grey. I thought that it might rain as Hurley and Jack carried Boone to the burial sight. Everyone but Locke was here. That just made me even more suspicious of him. Seriously, who _is_ he?

After the two men laid the fresh corpse to rest, they took their place among the crowd. “Shannon,” Jack addressed. “Do you want to say something?”

A long pause hung about. I could tell that she was about to say no when Sayid spoke instead. “I didn't know Boone very well, and for that I am sorry. On our 6th day here a woman named Joanna died. She drowned. And Boone was the first one into the water. I didn't know him, but I remember his courage. And I know he will be missed.”

“It was my fault,” announced Locke. We all turned to see him just standing there. A meter or so away from us. “We found a plane, a Beechcraft, in the jungle. It was lodged in the canopy so…” he glanced around. “I would have gone up, but I -- my leg was hurt so he -- there was a radio inside and he thought he could -- look, his weight must have made the plane shift and it fell -- and -- it happened because he was trying to help us. He was a hero.”

For some reason, Jack was angry. First he briskly walked towards the bald man, asking, “Where were you? Where were you? Where the hell were you, you son of a bitch?!” He then ran at the skilled tracker and tackled him. The others tried to stop him. “What did you do to him?!”

“Hey, hey, Jack, wait,” said Charlie as he and Sawyer pulled the doctor off of the man.

Jack pointed an accusatory finger at Locke, taking one step towards him. “Where were you?! You left him to die! You lied to me! Where were you?!”

“Jack, it’s _okay_ ,” Charlie tried. “It’s okay.”

“Where were you?!” The doctor shouted again, trying to get closer. “Where were you?!”

Kate intervened, trying to get in between Jack and Locke. “Jack!” She tried to get his attention. The man stumbled a bit. “Jack, what’s the matter? Are you okay?” The doctor collapsed. 

To some people’s surprise, Sawyer rushed to him. “Get some water!” A few different people ran off.

Charlie reached him first. “Breathe,” he instructed. The rock star then turned towards everyone else. “He’s okay! Jack, just breathe.”

A few hours later, we were all sort of staggered about the beach. The air was somber as we tried to find something to do. I wove leaves in the sun to make roofs for different people.

That’s when I heard Jack and Sayid speaking to each other. “He’s _lying_ ,” the doctor told him. Obviously, he was talking about Locke.

“You’re _fatigued,”_ Sayid countered. This was true. All the signs were there.

“Locke told Boone not to tell.”

“Tell about what?” 

They stopped walking about a meter away from me. I paused in my weaving for a small second. Realizing that I shouldn’t let them know that I’m listening to their conversation, I resumed my task.

“Something about a hatch,” said Jack. “Locke’s hiding something.” He then walked off.

Oh, it all made sense now. This is why Jack thought Locke was lying.

Sayid turned to follow. “Jack listen-“

“Look, the man is hiding something.”

The Iraqi projected his next two sentences. “Jack, listen to me. What we need is for the one doctor on this Island to get some sleep.”

“I’m fine,” told the doctor in equal volume. “I don’t need it.” He then walked off.

“Jack!” Came Kate’s voice.

Sun joined in. “You need some rest, come on!”

I glanced up to see Jack waving them off.

I walked over to Claire’s and Charlie’s tent when I finished with the woven palm leaf roofs. Claire had the baby boy in her arms.

“Hello,” I greeted with a smile. Why was I using a cute voice to speak with the baby? I don’t know, why does anyone? Seriously, it’s a genuine question.

“Hi,” Claire said warmly. I crouched down so that Claire wouldn’t need to stand. “Would you like to hold him?”

I peered at her almost in shock. “Are you sure?”

“Of course.” The blonde smiled.

“H-how-“

“Hold out your hands,” she instructed. I placed them in front of me. Wrapped in the blanket, the tiny child was handed over to me. Unsure, I folded my arms to securely hold it.

The baby was quiet in my arms. I began to do the thing that mothers do on tv sometimes. Bouncing them a little bit. He smiled up at me. I found myself smiling back.

“Have you thought of a name yet?” I asked her.

“Oh,” Claire realized. “No, I haven’t. I’m not even sure what to call him.”

“It’ll be alright. The name will come to you at some point.”

I handed the child back to his mother before walking off again. Somehow I could tell that this was going to be a long day. I didn’t feel like helping Jin and the others with the raft.

Maybe I’ll go speak with Shannon. I could offer some of my experience with losing a loved one or something. The twenty-year-old sat alone on the beach. Locke had just walked away from her. 

As soon as he walked far enough away, I said, “That dude seems really suspicious to me. I saw him at the airport in a wheelchair. Now he’s walking about on his own two legs?”

“Is there something you want?” Shannon asked rudely, not facing me.

“It’s just that, I’ve been where you are, losing a family member. So, I know what you’re going through.”

“How?!” She turned towards me. The angry stage of grief. Shannon stood and took a few steps towards me. She then gestured to the jungle. “We are on a fucking island. Unless whatever her name was, was family, I don’t think you _do._ We are stranded here, with no one coming to look for us. I _can’t_ tell any of my family or friends about his death.”

“You’re right,” I acknowledged. “My situation is not your situation.” My eyes darted around the beach for a moment. “And yeah, I guess I sort of thought of Elena as my sister, but that’s beside the point.” Once my eyes found hers, I told her, “You know, the reason I was on that flight was because my mother, father, and younger brother were murdered in a break-in. I’ve got no family with me in New Zealand _or_ Australia. The nearest family I had was in California. Elena was only flying with me to give me a send-off.”

She took my words into account. “Does it ever get easier?”

I glanced at the sand for a small moment and sighed. “I’m going to be honest here. It doesn’t, and the island gives you plenty of time to think. I hate it. Every time I see the dead, I’m reminded of them.”

She peered at me. “How do you face the days the way you do? I never suspected anything like that to happen to you with how you seemed so… actually I don’t think I’ve ever seen you have anything but a neutral expression.”

“It’s a mask. That’s all it is. Just, you have me to talk to if you want.” I glanced back at Locke. “He’s definitely hiding something.”

“I think I know someone who can help us with that.” The blonde started walking towards Sayid’s tent. Oh boy.

Tentatively, I followed.

Sayid was working on a piece of electrical equipment. “You asked if you could do anything for me,” she told him.

“Anything,” the brown man confirmed.

“John Locke killed my brother.” It was now I noticed that her hands were placed at her hips. “Will you do something about that?” She had the guts I never had. Then again, our situations are completely different.

Sayid’s eyes studied hers, then mine. He then got up. Shannon walked away, but I stayed. “Are you encouraging this?” He questioned me.

“Not exactly,” I frowned. “Then again, if I knew who killed my parents, I would want revenge too.” I then walked away from him.

A few minutes later, Locke and Sayid headed out for the jungle. 

After a few more minutes, I decided it was high time to lend the boat people my services.

“Well, look who finally decided to show up,” said Sawyer upon my arrival. The others glanced up from their work.

“Whatever, man,” I said as I checked over all the wiring.

“How much weight can this hold?” Walt questioned out of nowhere.

“I don’t know,” stated Micheal, checking out his craft. “A lot. Enough.”

 _“Tighten,”_ Jin reminded the black man.

“Yeah, yeah,” said Micheal, waving the man off. “Tighter. Got it.”

I smiled. My work here as a translation and as a teacher was paying off.

“What if it tips over?” Walt continued his questions.

His father halted his activity to face him. “We are not going to die.”

“Boone died.”

“His death didn’t have anything to do with a boat,” I told the small child.

Charlie soon entered with the littlest child. With the baby in his arms, the rock star approached Micheal. The poor baby was crying. “Hey, Micheal, do you know anything about babies? I can’t get this little guy to be quiet.”

“Walk with him,” Micheal suggested. “He’ll calm down.”

“Yeah, I tried that.” Doesn’t sound as if that was successful. The blonde turned to Jin. “Hey, Jin.”The Korean turned towards him. “Have you seen Sun?”

“Uhh,” he didn’t really want to answer that. He’s never really been with Sun since the incident.

“Sun. I need some help with this baby.” The tiny child mentioned was crying, mind you.

Sawyer came into view from his spot on the raft telling him, “Hey, Chuckie, want to keep that thing quiet? Baby wails like nails on a chalkboard.”

Somehow, the baby stopped crying. “Oh, there you go,” he glanced down at the child. “Are you happy now?” The baby started crying again.

“I was.” The taller blonde placed his hands on his hips. “If you're going to play nursemaid, at least do the damn job.”

The baby quieted again. Oh, I see. The tiny child likes the sound of Sawyer’s voice. Charlie requested that he saw something again, but the man verbally refused. This caused the baby to quiet down for a small moment. As Sawyer walked away, Charlie followed. I couldn’t help but chuckle.

Soon after, it began to rain. The crew decided to cease their building for now.

A day or so after, I found myself sitting near Shannon by a fire. Word got around saying that she tried to kill Locke. “I lost my father too,” she told me. I turned to her with a kind expression. “It was a car accident a few years ago.”

I held out my hand as a bit of comfort. She took it and we went back to staring at the fire. Somehow I could tell that Sayid was standing near us. He and Shannon had grown close recently, so it made sense. I stayed there for a good few minutes before deciding to head back into my tent.


	17. The Hatch and Poison

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel discovers the Hatch. Micheal gets poisoned and Kate’s blamed.

I couldn’t sleep. I tried, but my mind kept me awake. Ever since Jack mentioned a hatch, I couldn’t stop thinking of dad. Did he know about it? 

Somehow, my father stood in front of me. He looked like how I left him, with a bullet wound on his head. I almost screamed. “Go to the hatch.” His voice was low, almost a whisper. Just like that he was gone again.

By morning, it was the 43rd day on this stupid island.

When I saw Sayid lead Jack into the jungle, I decided to follow them. Once they got further into the forest, they met up with Locke. Still, I followed.

Then, I saw Locke remove some vines, and there it was. The hatch. 

“How long have you known about this?” Jack asked Locke.

“Three weeks, give or take,” said the bald man.

“Three weeks? You’ve been out here for three weeks digging this thing up and you never told me about it?”

The hunter crouched down and Jack sat. Sayid remains standing. “All due respect, Jack, but since when do I report to you?”

“All due respect, John,” he almost smiled. “But you lied.”

Wanting to get a closer look, I stepped forward. In doing so, however, I snapped a twig. The three men turned towards me. I figured that I shouldn’t let them get paranoid, so I came into their view.

“Uh, hi,” I greeted, walking towards the giant hunk of metal. “So this is the hatch.”

“Rachel,” one of them tried to get my attention. 

I ignored him, jumping down into the dug up hole to get a better look at it. “No handle. Interesting. I bet there’s a door somewhere else.”

“And what if you’re wrong?” That was Locke’s voice.

I didn’t face him, too preoccupied with running my fingers across the metal. That’s when I saw the numbers. Just as Hurley described them to me. Wide eyed, I hopped out of the hole and turned towards the Iraqi.

“Sayid, you remember those numbers?” I asked him.

He faced me. “Yes. Why?”

I pointed to the hatch. “They’re right here.”

“What?” He walked up to the spot in which I pointed to. He hopped into the hole and studied the numbers.

“So, how do we open this thing?” Jack asked.

Sayid turned towards him as if the doctor had lost his sense. “You want to open this thing?” He asked him, getting out of the hole.

“Yeah.”

“We should bury it! I brought you here to talk him out of this insanity. Anything could be inside!”

“And here I thought that once you saw the numbers, you’d be on board,” I stated. Sayid gave me the same look he gave Jack. 

“Look, best case scenario,” said the doctor. “There’s supplies. Worst case, we use it as a shelter.”

“Actually Jack,” the former Iraqi soldier countered. “I can think of much worse cases than that. You notice anything about this hatch? There's no handle. Could the reason for that be more obvious?! Maybe it was never meant to be opened from the outside.”

“Jack! Jack!” We heard Kate’s voice. 

“Yeah! Over here!” Jack responded.

We all turned towards her as she appeared. “It’s Micheal. Something’s wrong.” Immediately those who were not on their feet stood. We all rushed back to the beach.

As it turned out, the thing that was hurting Micheal was in the water. I gathered my own supply before resuming my help with the raft.

“And where have you been?” Micheal asked me, sounding a bit annoyed. He sat under a tree close to the raft.

“Out for a walk,” I told him. Next, I gestured to the man. “How are you feeling?”

“Not great.”

My lips pressed together as I nodded. “Understandable.” I let the doctor speak with him as I walked over to the raft.

 _“Have you been drinking any of the water?”_ I asked Jin in Korean.

 _“What do you mean?”_ He responded, tying a bit of the wires around a piece of bamboo.

_“I think someone poisoned the water. Either to take someone’s spot or keep someone on, or it’s just weird water. I wouldn’t think too much of it though.”_

About an hour later, Sawyer appeared and threw a container of pepto-bismol at the boat’s architect. “Thought you might need that, boss,” he told him. “Wouldn't want our pilot out of commission before take-off.” I decided to try and pay no mind to them.

“Why?” Micheal questioned. “Feeling guilty?”

“What?” 

“You’re off the raft.”

Uh oh. 

“Come again?”

“You’re off the raft!”

Here comes the argument.

“We had a deal.”

“Yeah, well, the deal ended the minute you decided to poison me.”

I decided to tune the two of them out and just focus on my work. About a minute later, Jin got up from his spot and pushed Sawyer. Alarmed, I peered at the sight.

“Get your hands off me, boy!” Sawyer shouted. Kate came into view as well as a few others. They flocked like sheeple to the commotion. “Hey, sweet-cheeks!” He meant Kate. “I had no idea how bad you wanted off this rock. Time to set things straight.”

He grabbed her and brought her closer to Micheal. She tried to get out of his grasp, even saying, “Let go of me.”

He did let go, but he pointed at the sick black male. “Tell him who the criminal is!” 

“Hey,” said Charlie, stepping up to him. “Leave her alone, man!”

“Tell him!” Sawyer urged. He then took her backpack from her.

“Give it back!” Kate tried not to raise her voice.

“Dude, seriously,” I tried to tell the long haired dirty blonde. “You’re going too far now.”

The con man emptied the bag. Out came a passport. He hummed. “Look at this.”

“Sawyer, please,” Kate tried.

Sawyer faced the crowd. “You all remember Joanna don’t you? Huh? The woman who drowned?” He showed the passport to everyone, waving it around before handing it to Micheal. “Now what's Kate doing with poor Joanna's ID?” He asked the crowd with his arms outstretched. “Could it be she'd do just about anything to get on that raft?” The man faked an amazed tone. “So she could get herself rescued, run off with a new identity before half the reporters in the world descend on this damn Island? She might even poison the captain himself.”

“Shut up!” Kate shouted, looking defiantly at the con man.

“She doesn’t care about nothing or nobody but herself.” He stepped closer to her. “You want to tell us why you need to run so bad? You want to tell us the truth?”

“Yes. I was on the plane… with the Marshal. Yes, I was wanted and caught and being transported back. No matter what I say about what happened -- about what I supposedly did -- I'm going to jail.” She turned towards Michael. “But I didn't poison you.”

“Here,” said the boat’s constructor as he handed the passport back to Sawyer.

One by one the crowd dissipated as she glanced at them with pleading eyes. They were all too stunned to look at her. Us boat crew stayed to continue our work on the raft. There was still work to be done after all. I didn’t feel the same way about this as everyone else though. After all, I knew about her being a criminal from day two. This sort of news doesn’t bother me.

As I finished up my work for the day, I heard Walt speaking with Micheal. It probably would have sounded like any other family talk, but something in Walt’s tone set me off.

“We don’t have to go,” Micheal told him.

“Yes we do,” Walt responded all too quickly. It was as if he knew something that no one else did. It irked me. Why? I have no idea. I tried to let it go as I walked back into my tent.


	18. Dreams, Goodbyes, and Caves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel gets a strange dream, sees the dead, and heads to the caves with the rest of her people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this one’s kinda long...

I had the strangest dream.

I opened my eyes to see the blazing sun. What? Weren’t we just in the sky? Did we crash? 

My eyes widened. I tried to get up but my entire body ached. There was some part of my leg that felt unusually sticky to the ground. I turned my head and felt relieved, then immediate pain. Okay, so not completely mobile, but at east that still moved. I could see a bunch of grass. If I craned my neck back, I could see the tops of trees. Well, if I didn’t It didn’t feel like the ground beneath me was completely flat. Maybe I was on an incline.

Stray hair had found themselves covering my right eye. My eyelids felt heavy, but every time they closed, I kept hearing the plane breaking and the people panicking. So I tried to keep my eyes open.

I could only tell that a day or at least ten hours passed because the sky darkened. Even then I couldn’t will myself to move.

My stomach growled and my throat was dry, but I was hurting. Starve and die of thirst or create more injury? I can’t just lay here for another day. I need water more than food to survive.

As the hours passed by, I heard the strange noises of some monster. Then a few hogs. Then a bear. The animals didn’t come near me. I never saw the monster.

Bad news? I realized that my left arm was broken and my left leg had a gash on the calf.

Good news? It started raining. I opened my mouth to catch any water that would touch my lips. By the time it stopped, I was still thirsty.

A few hours later, I decided I better get up. Find something to eat. Once I painfully sat up, I paused. Shoes. Touching my toes, I noticed that I didn’t have any. Did they fall off me when I disconnected from the rest of the plane. They were slip-ons after all. That might be better for me walking around. Even if I couldn’t see, I would have a sense of what I was walking on.

I felt around my left leg. The stickiness still bothered me. I had to turn my body to see some of the injury. I looked bad. I winced when I touched my calf. There was a gash there. Blood and tissue were sticking to the grass.

I nearly stumbled getting onto my feet. With my arms out, I regained balance. After a few seconds, I stood up straight. 

Walking hurt like a bitch. Ankle pain, calf pain (from the gash and some muscle pain, probably), then thigh pain, then side pain, on both sides. I almost couldn’t stand it.

Man, this forest is fucking creepy. Maybe it was the factor of me being by myself. Maybe it was the eerie bear silence of the place. Maybe it was because I knew that _thing_ was out there.

I managed to find this place called the Black Rock. It was a ship, wrecked on the beach and overgrown with vines. There were lots of things on it that reminded me of the slave trade. 

But the island didn’t want me there for long.

A strange noise filled the air. Speaking of that thing, it sounded as if it were headed my way. I ran and ran and ran, all along the flat jungle of the island, but the black smoke got to me. I found myself being lifted into the air. Everything hurt more. It felt like my flesh was being ripped. I let out this huge scream I wasn’t sure anyone else could hear.

I woke up to find Elena standing in the front of my tent. “Do you think my hair’s black or brown?”

I groaned, sitting up. “We’ve been over this. Neither of us can really tell, and it depends on how good the lighting is. It’s the same with your eyes.”

“Rachel,” her tone was soft but firm as she walked towards me. “You need to wake up,” she told me.

I then remembered that she was dead and gave her a serious stare. “What do you want, ghost?”

She chuckled. “What, just because I’m dead, that means you're going to ignore me?”

“Why?” I asked, sitting up. “What happened?”

“Just get outside, you goof.”

I sighed and wandered outside my tent. That’s when I found this strange woman. She had bangs and wavy long hair, blue eyes. She also wore a long sleeve shirt and jeans. A rifle slung over her shoulders.

Walt yelled for his dad. Pretty soon, everyone had gathered around her. Sayid asked what she was doing here. Apparently, her first name was Danielle.

She told us, “The others are coming.” Everyone who didn’t know about the possibility peered at her in confusion. I, on the other hand, was very interested. “Our ship went aground on this Island sixteen years ago. There were six of us -- my team. At that time I was already seven months pregnant. I delivered the infant myself. The baby and I were together for only one week when I saw black smoke -- a pillar of black smoke five kilometers inland. That night they came, they came and took her -- Alex. They took my baby. And now, they're coming again. They're coming for all of you.”

“Who’s coming?” Jack asked, feeling a little skeptical.

“The Others,” she insisted. She glanced around at the forty people. “You have three choices: run, die, or hide.”

Jack gathered the humans around for one of his weird, leader speeches. “Look, I know you're all scared. And I know everybody has a lot of questions. All I can tell you right now is that we do have a plan. We've got to go into the jungle to get some supplies. We'll be back in a few hours. In the meantime, do everything you can to help Michael get that raft on the water. And after that, go to the caves. We'll be back as soon as we can. I promise.”

I knew that was an empty promise, and I knew that they were going to use the dynamite to blow up the hatch. Or at least, blow up the door. That much, I knew to be true.

Most everyone helped the building crew with finishing the boat. A part of the fuselage was placed on top as a sort of roof, or room. But we still needed a really good, sturdy bamboo chute as the mast.

Sawyer tried to lend his aid, but Jin and Micheal gave him the cold shoulder. So, the blonde walked off a bit angry. 

The expedition crew came up to us to say their goodbyes to the crew members actually leaving on the boat. It wasn’t exactly heartfelt, but it was a goodbye. Jack even knelt down to speak with Walt. It was almost cute.

About thirty minutes later, Micheal, Jin and I were still working on the raft when Sawyer returned. With him, he had this giant stick of bamboo.

“Hey Chief!” Called Sawyer. “Cut and measured to length. Perfect mast.”

“Thanks,” said Micheal, stepping towards him slightly.

“Well, alright,” said the blonde as he picked up the large log and handed it to us. “Now, are we gonna get off this rock? Or stand around and talk about it?” I nearly chuckled.

Once we had that settled on, Micheal had a bunch of guys set up a ramp. Sayid approached us with electrical equipment. It was a radio and a radar system. How that man managed to scrape all that together, I had no idea. Other things such as food and water were loaded onto the boat as well.

A few minutes later, Sun approached us. She had a notebook in her hands. I smiled. I helped her with this little project. When Jin noticed his wife, he awkwardly stepped towards her.

 _“This is for you,”_ said she as the woman handed him the notebook.

He read the Korean characters with squinted eyes, slightly confused. “Star… starboard.”

“Starboard,” Sun nodded. _“It's a list of simple English words spelled out phonetically... I thought this would help you so Rachel and I made it for you. She wrote the words in English below the Korean characters.”_ She pointed to the English letters on the page.

 _“I’m sorry,”_ said Jin, not really looking at her.

 _“I am too,”_ she held his hands. _“You don’t have to go.”_

_“No, don't you understand, Sun. I'm in this place because I'm being punished. I made you suffer. You don't deserve any of this.”_

“Jin-“

_“I have to go because I'm going to save you. Stay with Jack. He'll keep you safe.”_

_“Who will keep you safe?”_

Great. Now I feel as if I’m intruding, or something. I turned away from them and continued working on the raft. 

A few minutes later, Charlie approached me. He held a bottle. The kind that looked like it would have held wine in it. It had messages instead. “Do you have a message you’d want to write down for any family or friends?” He then held up a notepad with a pencil.

“Uh, sure,” I said, taking the pencil and paper. I wrote to Elena’s mother and to my aunt and uncle. “Here you go,” I said, rolling the message up and shoving it into the bottle.

A few minutes later, everyone except the dynamite expedition said their goodbyes to the boat crew. I said goodbye to them with handshakes and hugs depending on the person.

Then just like that, the boat was in the water, sailing away. Vincent tried to swim after them. It almost broke my heart. However, Walt yelled for the pet to swim back. Eventually, he did. Shannon caught the dog and led him back to shore. She was previously given custody of him by Walt as a grieving buddy. I smiled and waved at the men one last time.

As we headed into the jungle to head into the caves, I couldn’t stop thinking about Elena. I got why I saw Dad’s ghost one or two days ago, but today? What was that about? And what was with that weird dream? I felt like I wasn’t even in my own body. It was someone else’s. 

————

“So, wait, you have ADHD?” I asked her as we walked home from school once.

“Yeah,” she said, readjusting her backpack strap. “Just got diagnosed on Saturday. Although, I prefer to think of it as ADD because I don’t exactly have the hyper part.”

“Oh, okay,” I said as I returned my gaze to the sidewalk.

“This isn’t going to change anything between us, is it? You’re not going to just ignore me now or something because you think I’m stupid?”

I stopped walking. “El, why would you think that? “ she halted her steps. I walked up to her. “You’re a really smart person.”

She smiled. “I’m glad you think so.”

“Dude, since you haven’t backed out on me being bisexual, I’m not going to back out on you having ADHD.”

—————

When we reached the cave, I immediately sought out my suitcase. Once we got out of this cave, I’d be taking the case with me. No sense in keeping it here. Hardly anyone comes up here anymore.

Wanting to be close to Shannon, I moved my things over to her. “Hello Vincent,” I greeted the dog, petting his head. “Hey,” I said to Shannon.

“Hey,” she replied absentmindedly.

Sun approached us, looking at the blonde. “He died bravely,” she told him.

“What?” Shanon asked in confused emotionlessness. Somewhere in her she appreciated the sentiment, but everyone’s been saying things like that to her for the past few days.

“Your brother.” 

She looked away from the Korean. “Yeah. Thanks.”

Sun noticed the hints enough to be careful as she sat down next to us. So did Claire. “Do you think all this—all we’ve been through—do you think we’re being punished?”

“Punished for what?” I asked her.

“Things we did before—the secrets we kept, the lies we told.”

“Who do you think is punishing us?” Shannon asked her.

“Fate.”

“No one’s punishing us,” Claire stated. “There’s no such thing as fate.” Her eyes were filled with worry and anxiety. Her child wasn’t with her. Oh, right. That weird French lady took him.

After what seemed like hours, I decided I would get some rest. I laid my head against my backpack and my body against the dog. Any chance I had of getting up was forfeited when he rested his head on my side.

When I closed my eyes, however, I saw Walt. He was dripping wet and mumbling something. I woke up to Shannon’s screaming.

“What is it?” Sun asked her.

“I saw Walt,” Shannon told her in a projected voice that screamed she was upset.

“You too?” I asked quietly. She quickly turned her head and peered at me, shocked.

“What do you mean, you saw Walt?” Charlie questioned.

“I saw him too,” I told him. The others began to murmur around us. “He was dripping wet, and mumbling something.” I pointed in front of me. “And he was standing _right_ there.”

“He couldn’t have been, you were _dreaming_ ,” he glanced at us both as if we were going crazy.

“But what if the others took him?!” Shannon shouted, worry showed in her tone.

“There are no Others!” The rock star screamed at her. “Sayid and I went to the smoke to get Aaron back but no one but that weird French lady was there!” Aaron had to have been the name that Claire gave the child. It might have even been in the spur of the moment.

I barely paid attention to Jack when he, Locke, and Kate burst through the opening of the cave. He gave some speech, but I barely paid attention to it. My leg bounced with anxiety. I fiddled with my fingers. My mind kept thinking about Walt. Was he okay? Were Micheal, Jin, and Sawyer okay? I hoped they were. But what if they aren’t? 

“Okay stop,” came Elena’s voice. Shit, was I going crazy? “Stop thinking like that. Don’t get caught in the negatives. Come on, what’s one positive thing about today?”

Um… is it too morbid to say that a positive thing is I’m still alive?

Her disembodied voice chuckled. “Maybe.”

When I noticed Kate, Locke, and then Jack run out of the cave a few minutes later, I knew they had opened the hatch.

But right now, I’d rather focus on getting sleep.

By morning everyone traveled back down to the beach as if nothing happened. For now, I was glad for that.


	19. The Bunker, Walt, and Candy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still bothered by the dream she had the other day, Rachel decides to go asking around. Her and Shannon happen upon another Walt sighting. Hurley gives everyone food from the bunker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo, I haven’t posted in a few days. Sorry about that. I’m here now.

It was officially day forty-six on this god forsaken island. It was about two hours or so until the Bunker group came back. They all tried to have these neutral faces, but I could tell that that was a mask. That dream I had earlier, about running through the jungle and happening upon a slave ship. That still bothered me, and I can’t figure out exactly why. Maybe it had to do with the dynamite? I mean, it’s just a bunch, but I just wanted to know. Kate was probably a good one to ask. 

“Hey, Kate?” I asked as I walked up to her.

She turned around with a bottle of water in her hand. “Yeah?”

“Were you successful?”

She stared at me blankly. “What?”

“With your little bunker excursion,” I said in a lower voice.

She squinted her eyes slightly. “How do you know about that?”

“I was with Jack, Sayid, and Locke when you came running telling us that something was wrong with Micheal.”

She continued to stare, but it developed into more of a surprised glance. “Oh, I must have missed you. It, um, it went fine.” We walked a few paces.

“And where's Arzt, anyway?” I thought he went with you guys to get the dynamite.”

“Didn't you hear Jack with his speech?”

“Not really, I was getting really worried about Walt.”

“I’m sure he’s fine. Yeah, he, Micheal, Jin, and Sawyer are fine.” Somehow, I could tell that she was telling herself this instead of me.

“I’m only asking, because I had this dream. I fell out of the plane, got a gash, laid in the grass on the top of the mountain for a while. Then, when I did get up, I walked for a long while. I came across this really old ship.”

“What was it called?” 

I smiled. Bingo. “I think it was called…” I faked forgetfulness. “The black… something…” my brows furrowed.

“The Black Rock?” She filled in, placing her hands on her hips and halting in her tracks.

My eyes lit up. “Uh, yeah.” I smiled softly. “That’s probably what it was. Maybe I should have gone with you or something, because otherwise, I’m not sure how I would know about it.”

“Well, whatever it was…” she slung her backpack over her shoulder. “It might still need exploring.” I shrugged. We walked together a few more steps before she halted again. “We found a man down in the hatch. It’s a bunker filled with survival supplies, and old computers.” She smirked. “Wanna see it?”

My lips curled up. She took me to the back entrance. A large metal doorway hidden by vines and trees.

The inside was just a concrete hallway until I saw the strange artwork. A doorway opened up to a room with books and records lining the shelves. Couches sat around. Bunk beds were pressed against the wall. There were even laundry machines! 

Kate then showed me the other machines of this bunker. They were old. Had to have been from at least the sixties, or something. Sayid was in there. Apparently, it was his shift. 

“Kate, what is she doing down here?” Sayid asked, gesturing to me. “I thought we agreed that not everyone was ready to know about the hatch yet.”

“I know,” said Kate in an annoyed tone. “But Rachel’s trustworthy.”

Sayid still looked unsure. I raised my right hand. “I promise to not tell anyone about the bunker.” Kate smiled at me.

A few minutes later, I was in my tent sketching on when Shannon approached me with Vincent. “Hey,” I greeted warmly.

“Hey,” she smiled before wrapping the leash tighter around her hand. “Um, have you seen Sayid?” 

I blinked and scrunched my brows in thought. Then I peered at the blonde apologetically. “I don’t think I have, sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Her hands almost seemed to bounce. “Wanna go on a walk with me?”

“Sure,” I said standing up.

As we walked through the jungle, she asked, “So, when you lost your family, did you ever feel like getting your revenge?” Over the last few days/hours, I told Shannon about my past. More specifically, about how my family died.

I peered at her strangely. “Is this because you pulled a gun on Locke?” 

“Well—no, but-“

“I would, if I knew what kind of people did it.”

I could tell that she wanted to ask more, but she refrained. “I see.”

“So,” I said as I stepped over a log. “How are you and Sayid doing?”

“Not great, at the moment,” she admitted. “We’re giving each other space right now.” She glanced at me and grinned. “What about you? Got anyone?”

I almost adopted a face of disgust. “I’m fifteen. Why the hell would I-“

“ _Okay,_ jeez, you don’t have to-“

A strange whispering could be heard. We turned to our front to see Walt. Standing there, drenched. Vincent barked at him, pulling at his leash to break free. Walt kept mumbling over and over. 

“Walt, where are you?” I tried to ask, but he disappeared. Shocked and annoyed, Shannon and I turned towards each other. “I… think we should probably go back now.” I backed up before turning around.

“Yeah,” Shannon agreed.

Once back in my tent, I saw Elena again. “You’re missing something,” she told me.

I peered up at her from my sketchbook. “No kidding. There are too many unknowns here.”

She stepped closer to me. “Dude, I was wearing slip-ons on the plane.”

I glanced down at her shoes to find that there were none. Only socks. The same socks I saw in that weird dream of mine.

“I was _you_ ,” I realized. “In that dream, I was you.” My eyes scanned imaginary surfaces. “H-how does that make sense? Is it even possible?”

“Rach,” she told me as she knelt down, placing her hand on my shoulder. “Nothing on this island makes any sense.” She then disappeared, as if she wasn’t even there.

On our way back, we decided to go walk along the beach. Claire was there too, without little Aaron. Charlie must have taken him so that she could stretch out a bit. We said hello to her with slight smiles. She did the same. 

Something in the ocean caught my eye. It shined a reflection of the sun in my general direction. Glancing at the ocean, I found that it was a wine bottle. Not only that, but the message bottle that was given to Micheal and the crew.

“Uh, guys?” I projected as I picked up the bottle. “We have a problem.”

“What?” “What is it?” They asked me.

I held up the item in my hand. They peered at it, shocked. “Something must have happened to them, we need to-“

“And start a camp-wide panic?” Claire shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

“Well what do you suggest we do then?” Shannon asked her.

We ended up giving the bottle to Sun. She dug a hole and placed it there. No one’s hopes were to be broken yet.

That night, Hurley distributed a bunch of food throughout the campers. He gave me two candy bars. Everyone else got something different. I decided to eat one of the bars and pocket the other for later. 

For a good few hours, it felt as if this settlement was just a giant camping lot. That we were all just camping and having laughs for once. Somehow, I just knew that it wouldn’t last.


	20. Day Forty-Seven

Day forty seven.

Yay. I groaned, rolling my eyes. I didn’t feel like getting up just yet.

A few minutes later, I stretched and sat up. Today would be a good day to change and wash my clothes. I gathered all the clothes that I could in the basket and traveled down to the bunker. 

It was Locke’s shift, and he didn’t have a problem with me using the washer and dryer. As I waited, I decided to try and put some music on. There were some really outlandish bands. Ones that I never heard of. Finally, I found some David Bowie. 

I put his record on the player. 

I smiled. The only reason I knew about David Bowie was because of my American cousins. 

“Good choice, Rachel!” Locke shouted from across the bunker. Then the alarm went off. 

I went to go see how he did it. Locke punched in a number sequence on the computer. I shook my head, almost laughing. Those damn numbers, the same that were on the hatch. They were also the numbers that Rousseau wrote down. The very same numbers that Hurley used to win the lotto. Where does that lead me? 

Fucking nowhere.

“You okay, Rachel?” Locke asked. I peered up at him.

“I’m just fine.” The alarm had stopped. In no hurry at all, I went to check the laundry. It was still going. I sighed. “I’ll be back!” I yelled.

I took my vine-weaved basket and went back to camp for my spear. Surprisingly, it’s been a few days since I’ve hunted any fish. I huffed. Maybe that’s because Jin wasn’t there. I hope he’s okay.

Once at the fishing spot, I began spearing. One fish, two fish, three fish, Walt.

Wait, WALT?!

He stood in front of me in the water. The kid still looked drenched as he kept mumbling. Over and over again. Then just like that, he was gone.

By the time I got back to the bunker, I had already shared my fish. Jack was on shift when I got my clothes out of the dryer. Huh. I don’t remember even putting them in the dryer.

“I put them in the dryer,” Jack told me as he walked up. “The washer actually has this really happy tune when it finishes.” He smiled as I got up to face him. “The only happy thing about this place.”

I gave him an awkward smile back. “Thanks for doing that. You didn’t have to.”

“It’s okay, I was looking for something else to do anyway.”

“See ya.”

When I got back, I saw Shannon walk Vincent along the beach. “Hey,” I greeted her.

“Hi,” she smiled. She then noticed my basket. “Did you do laundry?”

“Yeah.” I nodded. “Hey, listen, I saw Walt again.”

Her expression faltered before she nodded. “Me too.”

I placed the basket down and put my hands on my hips. “I almost can’t stand it. I mean, we know that he’s out there somewhere. We have the message bottle buried somewhere.” Some strange emotion brought tears to my eyes. “But where’s everyone else? And Walt? Is he alone? Scared? I don’t-,” I choked down a sob.

“Come here.” Shannon stepped closer to me. Her arms warmly embraced my figure. “I keep wondering the same things too.” She had the same emotion in her voice. “We’ll find him. I know we will. Okay?” She let go and stared deep into my eyes, as if affirming the idea. Comfort came in the little strokes she made with her thumb on my arms.

“Okay,” I breathed out, moving away from her. We gave each other a sad smile before parting.

I placed my clothes neatly into my Chewbacca suitcase. I was just about to draw in my sketchbook when I heard a knock on my tent.

“Who is it?” I projected.

“It’s Sayid,” the Iraqi stated. “I wanted to ask you something.”

Once I stepped out of my tent, I saw the man standing about a few feet away. “What is it?”

“You and Shannon are friends, right?” He almost looked impatient.

My eyes squinted for a moment. “That’s a weird question, but yeah. I guess so.”

“I wanted to ask your help in making a new tent for her.”

I tried not to smirk. “What, is it a tent for two, or…?”

He huffed lightly. “I just want to do something nice for her.”

“Yeah,” I nodded my head. “Alright.”

We gathered long, thin logs for the bones, and some tarps that were currently being unused. Then we tied them together, making sure that we set up enough space. I wove the back wall with leaves, which took about an hour. Maybe more. Next, we laid out a few blankets and mats, filling the rest of the space with his luggage. The finished product looked pretty neat.


	21. Shannon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shannon and Rachel see Walt again and decide to go look for him. We get another glimpse into Rachel's past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ayyyy would you look at that, the fic made it into season two!

During the night, I was trying to go to sleep when I saw Walt again. Freaked out, I decided to get some fresh air. Apparently, Shannon did too. She stood on the beach in distress. Sayid moved to comfort her, but she yelled.

“He was there! I saw him! He went into the tent,” she told the man. I began to walk over to them.

“I was only gone a few moments,” Sayid told her. “You must have fallen asleep.”

“This was not a dream!” She argued. “I saw Walt!”

“Then where was he?” He asked calmly. He was trying to be rational to her outbursts.

Charlie, as well as a few others who heard their shouting match began to walk over. “Hey, what’s going on?” Charlie questioned.

“Nothing. It was just a dream,” Sayid told him. “Everything’s fine.”

The crowd dissipated, but I stayed. Noticing this, Shannon walked up to me. “You saw him too, right?” Desperate hope showed in her eyes.

“Of course I did,” I told her. I followed the twenty-year-old back into her tent and helped her pack.

Sayid stared at us in disbelief. “Wait.” He ran in after us. “What are you both doing?”

“Going out to find him, what’s it look like?” I asked him.

As the two of us walked away, he followed. “Wait! Guys, let’s talk about this for a moment.”

Annoyed, Shannon faced him, saying, “Do you believe us?” She studied his face. He didn’t answer. “No. You don’t. Come on, Rachel.”

She was starting to act like how I did when Joey went missing while we were out camping.

———

My dad approached my and Elena’s tent. “Listen,” he said as we both packed our bags. “I’m worried too. Me, your mother and I and Elena’s mom, we scoured this forest until night hit. I hate to say it, but we need the daylight.”

“No we don’t,” I told him rudely, offended that he would stop looking. “Joey is out there scared and alone. He _needs_ us!” I brushed past him as I got out of my tent.

“Aren’t you going to talk some sense into her?” I heard my dad ask Elena.

“All due respect, dude, but I couldn’t stop her even if I tried,” Elena told him. 

———

Daylight soon came and the two of us decided it would be best to have Vincent sniff Walt out. He was definitely on the island. The trouble was where.

We approached Hurley and Rose with one of my woven baskets. She had placed a bunch of laundry in it.

“Hey,” Shannon greeted. “Do you guys know where Michael and Walt left the stuff they didn't take with them on the raft?”

“What kind of stuff?” Hurley asked.

“Their clothes,” I told them.

“I think their stuff’s still on the beach back where their tent is.” 

“Right, of course.” “Thanks.” We said as we headed back to the beach.

———

“Joey!” I practically screamed as Elena and I wandered through the forest. Our flashlights scanned the surrounding area.

“Joey!” Elena shouted. “Where are you?”

“Joey!”

Elena stopped, making me halt in my tracks and turn towards her. “We’ve been searching for at least an hour. Maybe your dad was right.”

“What? No, come on. He’s still out here.”

———

Once there, we grabbed a shirt. “This was Walt’s, right?”

Plaid, and blue. “Yeah, I’d say it is.”

She held it for a little while before giving it to Vincent. “Find Walt.” The dog sniffed the shirt and began running off. Shannon was just being pulled around as I kept up with them.

We found ourselves at Boone’s grave. Shannon had halted there. I tried to run after Vincent, but he was too fast. The cloud coverage mage the atmosphere grey. Shannon stared at it for a good long while. Seeing this, Sayid approached us. “I know what it is to lose someone you care about.”

“Yeah,” said Shannon, not facing him. “And so does Rachel.” She stood. “You really think this is all about Boone? We _saw Walt_ , Sayid.”

He grasped her hands. “Then why are we sitting at Boone’s grave?”

“Just go back, Sayid,” she told him as she began to walk off.

“Where are you going?” He called after us.

“Where do you think?” I asked him. “We’re going after Walt.”

He chased after us. “Why are you doing this, Shannon, Rachel?” 

“I didn’t ask you to follow us,” Shannon told him harshly.

“No, but you both would rather be out here alone and get lost or hurt,” the Iraqi retorted.

“Hey!” I shouted, walking up to him. “I know my way around here we’ll enough. We don’t need your help, Sayid.”

“Walt is out there.” He meant the ocean. “You're following a Labrador, not a Bloodhound -- in an effort to find a boy who's on a raft in the middle of the ocean.”

“He’s not on the raft,” the blonde told him almost reluctantly.

His brows creased. “What are you talking about?”

“We found the message bottle washed up on the beach,” I told him.

“I know he's out here somewhere. I saw Walt. And the raft is gone, and he is all alone.”

We walked off. “Guys-“ Sayid tried.

———

“Joey! Where are you bud?” I called out as I still searched through the forest. Elena went back maybe thirty minutes ago. 

Dawn was starting to set.

“Joey?!”

“Rachel? Is that you?” I heard Joey’s voice to the left of me. My head whipped around. My eyes widened as I saw my little brother. 

“Joey!” I yelled happily as I ran to him.

———

By nightfall, we had gotten nowhere, and Sayid was still with us. Out of nowhere, Shannon slipped. 

“Shannon!” Sayid yelled. “Are you okay?” He moved to help me up.

“Do _not_ help me up!” She told him as she got up.

“Let’s go back,” Sayid suggested.

Angered, Shannon snapped, “Why don’t you believe us?!” He didn’t answer. “I need you to believe us.”

“I _do_ believe you.”

“You don’t!” She shouted. “No one does. They think that I'm some kind of joke. They think I'm worthless. But they don’t say that about Rachel. You know why? Because she fishes.”

“Shannon, you’re not worthless.”

She frowned. “You say that now, but you don't -- you're just going to leave me. I know as soon as we get out of here you're just going to leave me.”

Somehow, I felt like I was intruding. He walked closer to her. “I will never leave you. I love you and I believe you.” I felt as if he was just saying that to get her and myself to come back. After the two of them hugged, he faced me. “I believe you.”

Whispering erupted from the trees. Walt appeared to us making shushing noises.

“Please tell me you see him,” I whispered to Sayid.

“Don’t worry,” he responded. “I do.”

“Walt!” Shannon yelled as he ran up to him, he walked away. “Walt!” She chased after him.

“Wait, Shannon!!” Sayid called, running after her. I sighed before running after him. Then I heard a gunshot.

When I arrived, I found Sayid hunched over something. I knelt down beside him to discover Shannon’s dead body. Shot in the chest she was.

“No,” I muttered. Sayid hugged the blonde’s body. “You fucking bitch.” Sayid moved to attack them out of anger. “Wait, Sayid!” He was taken down by a black man. They engaged in a fight, with the black man ultimately winning.

“Nobody move!” The bitch with the black hair commanded. The lady had held up her gun. She then peered at me. “Nobody!” She then faced her friend. “Anything else on him?”

“What?” Replied the black man.

“He just had a gun to your neck. Check to see if he had anything else on him.”

“Hey,” Micheal grabbed both of our attention. “Put it down.” He meant her gun.

She backed up a little. “Stop.”

“Are you crazy?” He stepped forward. “Don’t point that at me!”

“I said stop!”

“Hey,” I said, stepping closer to her. “What’s your problem?” 

She fired a warning shot in the air. One of the other people shouted, “Ana!”

Jin shouted, _“Leichel!”_ My eyes widened as I turned to see the Korean man standing before me.

“Jin,” I acknowledged with a smile, and hugged him.

I then turned to Micheal and let go. “Micheal,” I said as she walked towards him. “Shannon, Claire and I found the bottle of messages. We were worried. Then the French lady, Rousseau, warned us that the Others were coming. That the pillar of smoke meant they were coming.” I paused. “You know this already. Anyway, Jack moved us all to the caves while they figured out this bunker that he and a few others found. Then Shannon and I started having dreams — visions of Walt. So… oh no.” I then cupped my hands around her mouth and shouted. “Vincent!! Here boy!!”

I turned to look for Sawyer, but found him lying on some sort of make-shift stretcher.

“We need to tie him up,” the bitch told the others. 

The black man stood, telling her, “I’m not tying him up.”

“He tried to kill you,” Ana reminded him.

“No.” He stood his ground.

The bitch then turned her gun towards another woman. “You, you do it. Tie him. Use the vines from the stretcher.”

“Hey, if we take that thing apart,” Micheal was going to point out. “We won’t be able to-“

“Shut up!” Ana shouted, briefly pointing the gun at him.

“Ana, Sawyer needs a doctor or he’ll die,” the other woman pointed out.

“I know what I’m doing.”

They picked up Sayid’s body and brought him back about a meter.

“Wait a minute, where are you taking him?” I asked her as I walked up to the woman. She didn’t answer me. I turned to the others who just walked past me, even Micheal and Jin. “Guys!” I followed after them to see Sayid being tied to a tree. 

I huffed, going back to Shannon’s body. Kneeling down, I closed the blonde’s eyes. I hoped to see Walt again, but somehow I knew that wouldn’t happen at this moment.

A few minutes later, I saw the black man carry Sawyer on his back. I stood, asking, “Where are you going?”

“Your camp has a doctor, yes?” He asked me.

Oh, I realized. He was going to take Sawyer to Jack. “Yeah,” I said, walking back the way I came. “Follow me. I’m pretty sure I know the way back.”

He nodded. As we walked back, he said, “So you know them, Micheal, Jin, and Sawyer.”

“Yes, I do,” I responded. “I even helped them build their raft. It’s a shame things didn’t work out.”

It took only perhaps twenty minutes to get close to the golf course. Once we did, I heard Jack and Kate flirting. Why do I always feel like I’m intruding?

“Hey, Jack?” I asked, coming up behind him.

“Yeah, Rachel?” he asked, coming up to me. He then noticed the black man carrying Sawyer. “What happened?”

“Where is the doctor?” the black man asked him.

“I am,” Jack told him. He took us into the bunker, which I wasn;t sure was the right call, but didn’t say anything.

Jack and Kate took Sawyer into the bathroom. Locke entered my field of vision, looking all confused. “What happened?”

“You know, I’m not entirely sure,” I told him. The alarm went off. I quickly went to input the code. When I returned, the two of them were speaking.

“So, what happened out there?” Locke asked him.

The black man responded, “There was an accident.”

“What kind of accident?”

“A girl was shot.” 

Locke briefly looked towards me before asking, “What did she look like?”

“She was-”

“It was Shannon,” I interrupted him, crossing my arms. “Some bitch accidentally shot Shannon.”

“What?” Locke peered at me with creased brows. 

“Oh, you heard me,” I retorted.

The bald man then turned to the other. “You said there were five of you from the tail section?”

“Four,” replied the black man. 

Oh shit. I didn’t even think about that.

“Four?” He stammered. “Wh-why didn’t the rest come back with you? And Micheal, and Jin?”

“They cannot come back right now.”

This only made the man more confused. “What?”

“Technically, they’re being held hostage by the crazy bitch who shot Shannon,” I told him.

“Well,” Locke paused. “Can you take me to them?” The black man took a small look into our armory and denied the request. I got the feeling that he thought we might try to attack them. “I’m John by the way. John Locke. You already met Rachel.”

“They call me Mr. Eko.”

Moments later, the situation was explained to Jack, who got angrier and angrier by the minute. 

“Where are they?” The doctor questioned Eko, but he didn’t answer. “I _said_ , where are they?”

“Jack it’s not his fault,” Locke pointed out.

“Shannon’s dead!” he felt the need to point out. “I’m not-” he turned towards Eko and pointed. “You are going to take me back out there. Right now.”

“This man isn’t the problem.” Locke still tried to make peace. “He brought Sawyer back.”

“Half _dead,”_ Jack pointed out. “With a bullet in his shoulder, John!” He took a few steps closer to the black man. “Are you going to take me or are you just going to sit there?”

Eko just sat there at the table, still as a rock. He told him, “Anything I say will only make you angry. So, yes, I will sit here.”

“Jack!” came Sun’s voice. “Jack!” We all ran over to her to see her supporting Micheal.

“Micheal,” Jack breathed out. He hugged the man before taking him from Sun.

“We’ve got a problem,” Micheal told us, eying Echo.

“I already told him,” I stated.

“Told him what?” Sun wondered out loud. We told her what happened. She seemed relieved if anything.

Jack immediately went for the guns and picked one off the shelf. After loading it, he turned towards Micheal. “You remember how to get there, right?”

Micheal nodded. “Yeah, I think so.”

“We should stop and think about this, Jack,” Locke urged.

“Think about what, John?” Jack nearly snapped. “Shannon’s dead, Sayid’s being held at gunpoint. You want to sit around and hope the situation resolves itself? Be my guest.” He then handed Micheal a gun. “You know how to use this?”

“Yes sir,” the man in question answered.

Eko stood as they moved to leave. “Stop!” They turned to face him. “What is it you want?”

With fast feet, Jack approached him. “Excuse me?”

“Peace? Revenge? Justice? And you are going out with all these guns? What do you want?”

“I just want all of our people back safely. Your friend mur-”

“Ana Lucia made a mistake.”

Jack’s eyes squinted. “What did you say?”

“Ana Lucia made a mistake.”

“Ana Lucia,” Jack parroted, as if he couldn’t believe it, as if he knew her.

Eko stepped closer to them. “I will take you there. But only you, and no guns.”

The two men agreed. “Let’s go.”

Once I got back into my tent, all the emotions just started to pour out of me. I sobbed for a good few minutes there. Shannon, another friend, gone. Now she had to bear the weight of seeing Walt alone. Damn this stupid island! God damn Lian Yu!

By the next morning, everyone from the tail except Ana Lucia had integrated into the camp. They even attended the funeral. Though Sayid had taken all his anger out by fighting Echo, he still held a deep sadness within him. It all came out at the funeral. He couldn’t even get through his little speech without breaking down. I said a few words before starting to cover Shannon’s body with sand.

  
  



	22. The Others

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel’s sad, but she meets some people. They’re... the wrong kind of people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in a day? What is this?

Day fricking fifty one on this bloody island. Sun and Jin are back together now, which is great, and I’m so happy for them. But Sayid and I? It’s just a pit of sadness.

To take my mind off of things, I decided to fish for a bunch of fish. Maybe even get some of those sea urchins. Anything to keep me occupied. They way over to the spot held no noise. Catching the fish was quiet to. My mind was basically empty. I didn’t want to think. Then I would be thinking about Shannon, then about Elena, then my family, then Walt. When would this suffering end? 

I’ve only ever seen their dead bodies, never when they were killed…

Oh great, now I’m thinking about them again.

At least Walt wasn’t dead yet. Or at least, I hope he isn’t. Because then he’d just be haunting me from the grave and that’s mean.

When I decided to call it quits on fishing, I had placed five fish and three urchins in the basket. My way back to camp wasn’t eventful either.

When I divvied up my catches between the people, it didn’t surprise me to see Eko, or Rose’s husband, who I now know as Bernard, or the blonde lady Libby. What did surprise me though, was that Hurley was eyeing Libby.

“Do you think I have a shot at the blonde tailie?” Hurley asked me as I gave him a bit of fish.

“Who, Libby?” I asked, inclining my head towards her.

“Yeah,” his glance lingered on her. “she’s pretty.”

“That she is,” I agreed.

I then smiled to myself. Hurley’s got a crush.

As I wandered through the jungle in search of fruit, I thought I heard a twig snap. My head turned around faster than my body did, but no one was there. Thinking it might be safer on the beach, I headed to shore. There, I found a man. He had shoulder-length brown hair and wore an outfit that resembled a jumpsuit.

Wanting to get a closer look at him, I crept up to the closest tree. In doing so, however, I too stepped on a twig. He turned his head and saw me. “Oh, hello,” he greeted. He had a Scottish accent. I froze. “No need to be shy.”

Carefully, I stepped closer to him. “Who are you?” I asked.

“No one, really,” he told me. “And you are?”

“Just some girl from the plane crash,” I told him. I then sat next to him on the log, but far enough away from him. “What are you doing out here?”

“Just thinking. You?”

“I _was_ going to look for fruit.” I kept my eyes on the ocean.

“Why aren’t you now?”

“Call me skittish, but I heard something in the woods.”

“It wouldn’t be the Man in Black, would it?” I peered at him in question. “Th-the black smoke monster.”

“No, it wasn’t that. I thought I heard someone behind me, but when I turned around, they weren’t there.”

“Ah, those sneaky bastards,” he muttered.

My brows furrowed. “What?”

“I haven’t exactly gotten out much before your people took over the Swan-”

I blinked. “I’m sorry, the what?”

“The Swan. That’s what the hatch is called by the DHARMA Initiative. Did you watch the orientation tape?” I shook my head. No, I’ve only heard about it from Locke. “Anyway, the person who was manning the station before me... he told me about this group of people dubbed by the Initiative as the Hostiles. I’ve never met any myself, but,” he glanced back at the trees. “I too am paranoid about this jungle.”

I adjusted my body to face his. “What else do you know about them?”

“Just that they’ve been here for a very long time. At least dating back to the ‘50s.”

“Seriously? That long?” 

“Yeah, or at least, that’s what I’ve heard.” He studied my eyes. “You look lost as if you’ve experienced something drastic.”

“Aside from the plane crash?” I shrugged. “Yeah, I’ve got some baggage.” I frowned as my gaze moved to study the sand. A few stray strands of my auburn hair fell in front of my face. It didn’t exactly bother me, I could see through my hair, but I wanted it out of my way. 

As I combed the strands back with my fingers, he told me, “How’s Jack?”

My gaze returned to him. “You know the doc?”

“In another life.” Did he mean like… actually reincarnation? Or before his time in the Swan.

“You know, Jack doesn’t think anything would happen if we let the timer go down to zero.”

“But he does it anyway, doesn’t he?”

“Have _you_ ever missed the countdown?”

“Never. So, I wouldn’t know. Even then, I’m way too paranoid about this sort of thing.”

“Locke is too.” He glanced at me, signaling to remind him who that was. “The bald guy.” His mouth made an ‘O’ shape. “How long have you manned The Swan, anyway?”

“A few years,” he told me. “They didn’t allow either me or my partner to really leave the facility. He died some time ago. They said they’d send replacements, but that never happened… until your people came along.”

“I see.”

The man stood. “We should go our separate ways. It’s not exactly safe to be staying in one place for very long if there aren’t a lot of people around you. Never know when something might pop up behind you.”

“You’re on your own,” I pointed out as I stood. “Why don’t you join us?”

“That will not be possible, goodbye.” He then walked away.

We went our separate ways. 

On my way back, I found Kate tracking someone. She knelt down at some shoe prints, touching her fingertips to the soil. I hid as I watched her run off. After a few seconds, I ran after her. 

This repeated for a long while. The sky started to change colors.

Then, someone grabbed Kate. They placed a bag over her head. I didn’t move for a solid ten minutes. When they moved out, I followed. I could have sworn that I saw someone who looked like Micheal.

Once the sky was pitch black, I almost had a hard time following them, but when they stopped, I noticed Jack, Sawyer, and Locke. Not wanting to screw anything up, I hid behind a close tree.

“You know what happens if we just turn around and go back?” Jack asked the other two. “We're never going to see him again. And that's going to be on us -- on you, and on me.”

“You’re exactly right, Jack!” Came a new voice. It held a certain gruffness to it. He made himself known to them. He was tall, maybe a bit overweight, and had a beard. “But if I were you, I’d listen to Mr. Locke.” 

Okay, wait, how does he know their names?? Have they been watching us???

Jack, Sawyer, and Locke drew their guns and aimed it towards the mysterious man.

“Who are you?” Jack questioned.

“He’s the son of a bitch that shot me on the raft,” Sawyer stated, moving forward and acting as if he was going to shoot.

“Why don’t you put the gun down?” The bearded man suggested. He doesn’t.

Out from the cover of the night and the trees, a bullet is fired in Sawyer’s direction. It grazes him. Jack and Locke frantically look around.

“It’s probably best if we just keep our hands at our sides, gentlemen,” he told the group.

“Where’s Micheal?” Jack asked.

“Don’t worry about Micheal. He’s not gonna find us.”

“What do you want?”

“Why don’t you build us a fire, John? I think it’s time we had a talk.” Reluctantly, the hunter built the fire. It only took a few minutes. The bearded man took a seat. Locke and Sawyer, with skeptic faces, soon followed. “Jack, why don’t you sit down? Nobody’s gonna hurtcha. I come in peace.”

“How do you know our names?” Locke asked him as the doctor finally sat down. The man just smiled.

“You took Walt!” Jack accused. My brows furrowed, wondering if it were true. 

“Walt’s fine,” said the man. “He’s a very special boy.” I covered my mouth so as not to gasp as my eyes widened. Shit! Shit shit shit.

“Look, you said you wanted to talk. Talk.”

“Let me ask you something. How long you been here on the island?”

Jack shrugged. “Fifty days.”

The bearded man would have sat back had he been sitting in a chair. “Oooo, fifty days. That's what -- almost two whole months, huh? Tell me, when you go over to a man's house for the first time, do you take off your shoes? Do you put your feet up on his coffee table? Do you walk in the kitchen, eat food that doesn't belong to you? Open the door to rooms you got no business opening? You know, somebody a whole lot smarter than anybody here once said: ‘Since the dawn of our species man's been blessed with curiosity.’ You know the other one about curiosity don't you, Jack? This is not your island. This is our island. And the only reason you're living on it is because we let you live on it.”

Jack gave him a wide smile. “I don’t believe you.”

“You don’t believe what?” He leaned forward.

“I think you've got one guy up there with a gun. I think there's more of us than there are of you. I think if you had any real strength, you wouldn't have had to send a spy -- Ethan.”

My eyes widened. Ethan, that jerk.

“That’s an interesting theory,” he said, standing up. He raised his arms and yelled, “Light ‘em up!” All around us, torches lit. “We’ve got a misunderstanding, Jack!” He projected. “Your people, my people. So listen carefully. Right here, there's a line. You cross that line, we go from misunderstanding to something else. Now, give me your weapons, turn around, go home.”

“No.”

“Jack, maybe-“ Locke tried.

The doctor faced him with an almost pissed off face. “No!” 

“I hoped it wouldn’t come to this,” the bearded man sighed. He then brought his hands to cup his mouth. “Bring her out, Alex!”

Someone shoved Kate right in front of them. She was bound at the wrists with a bag placed over her head. 

“She was following you,” the man continued. “Like I said, curiosity.” He practically ripped the rag off of the woman’s head. Jack looked rightly pissed now. Sawyer took a step closer, but the bearded man drew a gun on Kate. He pressed it right into her neck. The man then looked in my direction. “You might as well come out too, Miss Rachel Carraway.”

Shit, he knew my last name too? I didn’t move. Too many thoughts ran through my head. My body seemed frozen. Then someone pushed me. I stumbled into the clearing. These people were definitely the Hostiles the bunker dude mentioned

“To be honest, I didn’t think you’d get my last name,” I told him. He snickered. 

“What are you doing here, Rach?” Jack asked me. A concoction of emotions showed on his face. I couldn’t decipher between them. 

In the next instant, someone trapped me in their arms and held a knife to my throat. A gasp escaped my lips. I grabbed a hold of the arm holding the knife, but he wouldn’t budge.

“This girl was following Kate, who was following you,” the bearded man explained. “Now, here’s the decision you gotta make, Jack. Can you live with the fact that I shot this woman, or that he slit that girl’s throat in front of you when you could have saved their lives by giving up and going home? Or are you going to give me your guns, turn around and walk away? It's your call, Jack.”

Sawyer stared the man down. “You touch a hair on her head, I’ll-“

“Shut up!!” He pressed the gun harder onto her neck. I felt the knife press deeper into my throat. “I’m going to count to three. One… two…”

“Stop!” Jack enunciated before he threw his weapon on the ground.

The bearded man inclined his head towards the other two. “Now them.” Locke was the first one to do it. “Give me the other one to.” The bald man threw his other weapon on the ground. 

Sawyer glared at the bearded man, saying, “You and me ain’t done, Zeke.” The conman three his weapon on the ground.

The mysterious man grabbed the pile of weapons and disappeared as the torches were snuffed. Sawyer tended to Kate.

Jack walked up to me and asked, “Are you alright?” I swallowed and nodded my head. Seeing past my lie, he pulled me into a side hug and we began walking. “Come on, let’s get back to camp.”

I said nothing the whole way down. Not even saying a good night as I slipped into my tent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, if anyone can guess who she met on the beach, you get a gold star.


	23. Hurley's Radio

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sayid and Rachel create something to help Hurley's radio to try and get the signal. Rachel sees Walt, and her father again, and Sawyer steals the guns.

Over the next few days, Charlie acted crazy. He kept taking the baby, telling everyone that he needed to be saved. I, for one, thought that he was on something. But there aren’t any drugs on this island, are there? 

I shook my head. No, there can’t be. Could there?

No, I decided.

Okay, but, like, what if?

Let’s go with no, for now, brain, alright?

Alright. Alright.

Either way, Charlie’s basically been banished from camp by Claire. What he used to do with the baby is now Locke’s job.

Pretty sure it’s day fifty-seven now. Knowing that Jack and Locke were most likely in the hatch, I decided to go down there. The two of them had just exited the armory when I came in.

“Hey, Rachel,” Jack greeted me.

“Hey,” I parroted. Am I really doing this? Should I be doing this? Just do it. “So, um, I’m pretty sure I met the man who used to work in the hatch.”

The two men stared at her. “Desmond?”

“He didn’t tell me his name, but he had brown long hair, brown eyes, and a weird grayish jumpsuit.”

Jack nodded. “Yeah, that’s Desmond.”

“Okay, cool, because he told me about a group of people, and well, I think they’re the ones who we encountered last night.”

“What’d he say?” asked John.

“He called The Others the Hostiles, said that that’s what DHARMA calls them.”

Jack shrugged. “Seems to fit. Anything else?”

“Well,” I paused. Should I tell them? Uhhh, quick what else did he say? “I asked, and he said he never missed the button ev-“

He pointed at me briefly. “That is a bald-faced lie. There’s no way.”

“Jack, how could you be sure about that?” Locke asked him.

“He’s _human_ , John _.”_ The doctor outstretched his arms. “Just like the rest of us.”

“Yeah, I kinda figured,” I muttered. I backed up twice before turning around. “Well, I’m out. See ya.”

  
  


I was in my tent when I saw Sayid approach me. “Hello again,” I greeted him briefly before returning to my sketchbook. I wasn’t even drawing, just staring at the one I made of Shannon. 

Shit.

“I want to show you something,” Sayid told me. I peered up at him, skeptical. 

Oh, come on. What could be the harm?

“What is it?” I asked, adjusting my position.

He held out what looked like a giant walkie-talkie. “This is a shortwave radio.”

My brows furrowed as my orbs stared at the device. “How did you find that?”

“Hurley gave it to me, and I was thinking that we could both use a project.”

“Uh,” I quickly glanced at my sketchbook and closed it. “Yeah. Okay, sure. Let’s go.”

He took me to his old tent, which by the way, still held all of his equipment. 

As we constructed something to boost the device’s signal, Jack and Kate rushed into camp with an unconscious Sun. She didn’t look too good. Actually, she looked like she was attacked.

My first thought was The Others. But then that didn’t exactly make sense. As far as I knew, no line was crossed. Unless they decided to go back on their word. Which, for some reason, I don’t think they would. Not unless we did first.

A few minutes later, someone announced that Sun was awake. Most people flocked over to her. Not wanting to add to the sheeple, I stayed where I was. Sun didn’t need people swarming her with questions. I personally feel like it’s anxiety-inducing.

However, I couldn’t help but notice that Ana Lucia was in the mix of humans. From what I’ve been hearing, she’s asked a few random people to join an army that she’s thinking of cooking up or something. This would be the perfect ploy.

“Hey, Sayid?” I asked as I put some wiring together.

“Yes?” He responded, separating some of the casings from a pile into a neat layout.

“Do you think Lucia is capable of doing that to Sun?” I inclined my head towards the crowd.

“And what purpose would she have of doing that?” He didn’t sound interested.

“It’s just that, she’s been asking people to join her army, or whatever, I don’t think anyone’s going for it.”

“Would you?”

“I mean, I know we’re not safe on this island, but I don’t think I can be around her at the moment.”

“Then we are at an agreement.”

I watched silently as Jin asked Jack to give him a gun.

When lunch hit, I went into the jungle to find some fruit, I heard the whispering again. Turning around, I saw Walt, still drenched. For some reason I was angry. “Do you know what happened?” I shouted, walking towards him. “Do you?! Shannon’s dead! All because of you!”

“I tried,” he faintly whispered. Over and over and over again.

“Tried what?!” I stepped closer. “To save her?! To get her killed?! Am I next?!” I paused, and in a softer voice, asked, “Are you really even Walt? Walt wouldn’t have wanted her to die! He gave Vincent to her for heaven’s sake!” I realized that my breathing became heavier. “Why are you here?! If you really are Walt, then tell me where you are!”

“Rachel?” came Charlie’s voice. It was soft. There were hints of concern in it. I whipped my body around to find him standing there. His eyes had dark rims, and his hood was over his head. “What are you doing out here?” He stepped closer to me. Quickly, I moved to check behind me, but Walt wasn’t there anymore.

“I may or may not be going crazy,” she told him. 

“I know the feeling. Wanna talk about it?”

“Not particularly,” I told him as I walked off.

When I got back to camp, I went straight to my tent and ate a mango. After I was done, I glanced up to see my father standing at the door of my tent.

“Are you real?” I asked him, not moving. He said nothing. “Are you real?” I tried louder. “Is Elena real when I see her? Or are you apparitions all just fakes?”

He knelt down and asked, “Now why would you ask that?”

“Walt,” I told him.

“Who?”

“Oh, never mind.” I sighed, averting my gaze for a second. “Actually, wait, dad, how can I see you?” Once I looked up though, he was gone. Alarmed, I stood and got out of my tent. Scanning the area, I saw that he wasn’t there. My face adopted a look of disappointment. 

“Rachel, are you alright?” Sayid asked me. I didn’t even see him approach me. “You look a bit distracted.”

“No, I’m alright,” I told him, forcing a smile. “How’s our little project coming along?”

“Great.” The two of us walked towards his tent as he explained. “It’s almost done. We just need to give it a few tweaks and test it.”

Just as we arrived, however, Jack came into our view, looking very angry. He fast-walked over to the bald man. “John, where are they?!” He yelled. “You moved the guns. Where are they? We had an arrangement!”

“An arrangement that you were about to violate, Jack,” Loke argued. Sayid and I exchanged a glance before heading into the growing crowd. “Yes.” Loke stood. “I moved the guns.”

“Where?” asked Jack as he stepped closer to him. “Where, John?”

Loke blinked, almost realizing something. “Oh, are you going to start handing them out? How many? Who gets them? How much time before there’s an accident? Another accident. I made a mistake teaching Micheal how to shoot and now he’s-” He stopped himself. Even still, everyone knew the answer. “He could be dead for all I know. And that, that was my fault. I take responsibility for that and so, yes, I’m taking responsibility for the guns too.”

“I want _two_ guns, John,” the doctor told him. Those were probably for himself and Jin.

Locke’s hands placed themselves on his hips. “I’m sorry, Jack. That's the way it’s going to be.”

“Two guns!” the man persisted. “Now tell me where they are, right now!”

All of a sudden, three gunshots could be heard. Like sheeple, we turned to see it was Sawyer. He had a rifle in his hands and a smug smile on his face. “That’s right, Jack. He’s as stupid as you are. You were so busy worrying about each other you never even saw me coming did you?” He stepped closer. “How about you listen up because I’m only going to say this once.” His hands rested the weapon on his shoulder. “You took my stuff. While I was off trying to get us help -- get us rescued -- you found my stash and you took it, divvied it up -- my shaving cream, my batteries, even my beer.” 

I rolled my eyes. Is this man serious? How can he be so possessive over items that everybody needs?

“And then something else happened,” Sawyer continued, gesturing to Jack and Locke. “You decided these two boys here were going to tell you what to do and when to do it. Well, I’m done taking orders. And I don’t want my stuff back.” Somehow I didn’t believe that statement. “The shaving cream don’t matter. Batteries don’t matter. The only thing that matters now are guns.” At the word, he held his weapon up briefly. “And if you want one you’re going to have to come get it!” His gaze settled on Sayid. “Oh, you want to torture me, don’t you?” He outstretched his arms. “Tell everybody how civilized you are. Go ahead, but I’ll die before I give them back. And then you’ll really be screwed, won’t you? New sheriff in town, boys!” He almost sounded happy about it. “You all better get used to it.” He then hiked back into the jungle.

After a few hours, Sayid and I thought that we finally had the device ready to test. So, we approached Hurley. He sat by a fire on the beach, reading something. I carried the radio while Sayid carried the pole.

Once the man noticed us, he showed us the cover of something. “Hey, check this out,” he said. “I found a manuscript in one of the suitcases. It’s like a mystery book.”

“We want to show you something,” Sayid told him. 

Hurley then noticed what we were carrying. “Cool, you fixed it!”

“We’ll see,” said the Iraqi as he pushed the pole into the sand. After a few seconds, he cautiously let it go. Thankfully, it stood on its own. “But don’t expect anything. The chances of getting a signal are slim at best.” He nodded towards me, signaling to turn the radio on.

Once I did, all I heard was static. I frowned.

“Static’s good, right?” Hurley questioned.

“No, reception’s good,” I told him. I turned the dial slightly. We heard a woman talking.

“Wait, what’s that?” Hurley asked.

“It’s Rousseau’s signal,” Sayid told him. 

“Oh, crap.” I turned the dial more. We started to hear something garbled. I turned the dial just a little bit more. “Wait, stop! Do you hear that?!”

An announcer voiced, through spotty reception, “That was the old classic ‘Just A-Sittin’ and A Rockin’ by Duke Ellington and his Orchestra, featuring Cootie Williams on the trumpet. Up next on WXR, the Glenn Miller Orchestra with “Moonlight Serenade.” The song began to play and the reception became clearer.

Hurley nearly stood up. “Whoa, you hear how clear that is? It’s got to be close, right?”

“Radio waves at this frequency bounce off the ionosphere. They can travel thousands of miles. It could be anywhere.”

“ _Or,_ anytime,” Hurley joked. We both glared at him. “Just kidding guys.”

I shook my head with a smile.

The three of us stayed here for a good few dozen minutes. Content, we watched the stars and listened to the old music.

  
  
  



	24. Another DHARMA Facility

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel accompanies Claire and Kate on an expedition to find Rousseau.

Day fifty eight. I stretched, untangling myself from my towel-blanket. Somehow I didn’t feel like getting up today. 

“You get away from us!!” Claire screamed. Okay. maybe not. I’ve got nothing else to do.

Jogging over, I see Claire holding her baby, facing Rousseau. The crazy French woman told her something that I couldn’t catch. “Hey, Get back!” shouted Kate, running over to them. Others started gathering. “Get away from her!” Rousseau stepped back a few steps. “What do you think you’re doing here?” The French woman did not answer. “What are you doing here?!” She pointed behind her. “Just get out of our camp.”

The woman left as Kate looked Claire over, asking her questions. In the next few minutes, the baby was taken over to Jack. But it looked like he told her that nothing was wrong except a high fever. I remembered when Joey got really sick as a baby. The sickness passed rather quickly. The next thing the women did was head over to Libby for some Shrink stuff.

In the next few minutes Claire screamed up a storm. “No!” she shouted at Libby. “I’m not alright! It was Ethan!” Ethan? I stalked closer as both libby and Kate tried to calm her down. The dark haired woman also held Aaron in his arms. “I remembered, okay? I saw Ethan. He was there and he was giving me an exam.”

So he was a doctor? The question is, was he working for DHARMA? Or The Others? Either way, it’s worth looking into.

“Go with them,” I heard my father’s voice whisper in my head. Why I listened to him, I’ll never know.

“Claire, what you saw could be a combining experiences of what happened before the crash to the night you were having dreams here on the island,” Libby advised.

“No, I know this was real. I was drugged. He did something to me.”

“Claire, you need to calm down alright. It’s not good for Aaron.”

The blonde Aussie took her child back into her arms and bounced him a little. “You know what? Aaron is sick, okay? I need to find that place. That room -- it’s real. And hey,” she remembered. “There’s medicine there for the baby. I need to find it. I need to. Kate, please help me find it.”

Kate huffed. “Okay.” She smiled at Libby as a thank you. 

Claire walked up to me. “Can you babysit Aaron until Claire and I get back?”

“I’d love to,” I told her. “But I’d much rather help you find that room.”

“So you heard that,” she half muttered, thinking it over “I appreciate it, thank you.” She then walked over to Sun to see if she would babysit.

The three of us walked through the jungle. 

“You’re sure this is her trail?” Claire asked Kate. She’s been following these tracks for a while.

“We started at the exact spot where we chased her off the beach,” Kate told her.

“So, what do you know about Rousseau?”

“Not much.”

“But didn’t spend time with her while you went to get the dynamite?” I questioned her.

“Yeah,” Claire stated. “So you must have learned something.”

“Just about her ship crashing here -- her and her research team getting stranded.”

“Oh, right,” I said, remembering the time the French woman came to our camp telling us about The Others.

“What happened to them?” The blonde questioned.

“They died.”

“How.”

Kate stopped, placing her hands on her hips. She glanced around in all directions. “Uhm, tracks are gone. Trail ends here.”

“Kate, how did they die?” Claire persisted.

“She killed them.” 

My eyes widened. “What?” Both Claire and I said out of shock.

“Why?” the blonde wondered. “Why would-”

“Because they were infected,” told a voice. We turned around to find the French woman standing there. Her rifle was strapped to her shoulder. She stepped closer. “You believe me now, don’t you?”

“I want you to take me back there,” said Claire.

“Back?”

“To where I scratched you.”

“Claire-” Kate tried.

The blonde turned around with such speed that her hair whipped around. “No. Okay? She knows I remember!” She then faced Rousseau. “I remember a lot of it now. I remember the room, the medicine, a teenage girl. Okay? So don’t lie to me and say you don’t don’t know what I’m talking about. My baby is sick and you’re going to take me back there to get what he needs. Right now!”

“It’s not far from here,” Rousseau told us before leading the way.

The four of us walked for a little while until the French woman stopped. There was nothing there, however. Just an open field. Claire noted that fact out loud to the woman.

“Where do we go next?” the French woman questioned, expecting Claire to know the answer.

“Why are you asking me?” Claire asked, almost getting upset. “You need to tell me where to go.”

“Where is the room?!”

“How can you be saying that? You grabbed me, that’s why I scratched you-- because you were taking me back to them!” Somehow that didn’t sound right. The French woman doesn’t seem to be affiliated with anyone but herself.

“Is that what you think?” Rousseau stepped closer to her. “You said you remembered! That’s why I brought you here! You lied!” She grabbed her. Suddenly I realised that these were two moms who almost went through the same thing because of the same people.

At that, Kate pointed her gun at the brunette. The weapon clicked. “Hey,” said Kate. “get your hands off of her!”

She did let go, but she also walked closer to the barrel of Kate’s gun. She wanted death. Yet it seemed Kate wasn’t going to give it to her. She went after Claire, who walked off. I soon followed, then Rousseau.

The blonde wandered around a field dazed.

“Where are you going?” Kate asked her in a projected tone.

“I know this is it,” Claire told her.

“Claire!” The former criminal walked to stop her, but Rousseau put her arm in front of her.

“Leave her alone.”

I ignored their bickering as I followed Claire. She picked up her pace slightly, touching bunches of grass, expecting something to be there. Next, she came across a spot of vines. Moving them to either side, she uncovered doors to another bunker. The other two caught up to us as we opened the doors. 

Why is it that all of these facilities are abandoned? I wondered. Libby told me the other day about where she and the other tailies were staying. It was abandoned with nothing in it except a book. So then, why did Desmond’s Swan bunker still have him in it? 

We stepped through the doors to find a ramp at our feet. It was low and didn’t take long to get down. 

Kate walked over to a cabinet, curious about its contents. “Flashlights,” she noted, handing them to us. “I’m going to see if I can turn the power on.” She then faced Claire. “You okay?”

She nodded. “This way,” she said.

Rousseau followed her. I went into a room to discover lockers. I opened one, nothing was in it. The next one I opened had a bracelet in it. Just some simple silver charms. I placed it back down. Turning around, I found Kate inspecting the taller lockers. Inside them were a bunch of shirts hanging from a bar. They looked faded, in a way. The brunette kneeled down, inspecting something. I knelt down beside her. She held a small fake beard attached to some paper. An adhesive stood on the ground.

“What the heck?” I muttered. 

“My thoughts exactly,” Kate muttered.

Why was the beard reminding me of that guy we met from The Others. “Hey, do you think that man’s beard’s fake? You know, the leader of The Others?”

“I don’t know,” she responded.

So, this place was most likely taken over by The Others. Either that, or the Others and the DHARMA Initiative were the same people. That, however, seemed unlikely.

A few minutes of perusing later, Kate found the control room and turned the lights on. At the very end of the hallway stood a large circular room. Claire and Rousseau were already in there. I peered into a room with shapes stained on the wall. What the heck?

“Help!” shouted Claire. “Kate come here! I need some help!” I heard footsteps walk past the room I was in. “Help me open this.”

Wanting to see what it was, I walked into the circular room. All that was left of the space was the cabinet Claire and Kate lifted up. However, it was empty.

“It was in here,” Claire told us, nearly breaking down. “The vaccine was in here! Okay, Where is it? Where is it? Where is it? The vaccine was in here! Where is it?!” She turned towards the French woman. “You were bringing me back here! Where is it?! You know where it is, don’t you?! Tell me!” 

Her facial features changed as if she was remembering something. Her eyes searched through something that wasn’t tangible. She then faced Rousseau again. “You weren’t trying to take me back, were you?” Her tone was softer now. “You were trying to save me.”

“I carried you on my back to your camp,” explained the French woman. “I left you where they would find you.”

“I’m sorry.” Rousseau suddenly turned and left. “Where are you going?” Claire walked after her.

“You’re not the only one who didn’t find what they were looking for.” This was true for me. I came here to see if it had anything about my dad, but this place is basically stripped clean.

The three of us followed the French woman until she stopped. The trees provided a nice cover from the sun. “This is as far as I go,” she told us. She turned to leave us, but Claire stopped her with her words.

“Your baby. Was it a girl?”

Rousseau stopped and turned around. “Yes.”

“What was her name?”

“Alex… Alexandra.”

“I remember a girl. A girl with blue eyes.” This caught the French woman’s attention. “She helped me. She saved me, just like you did. She wasn’t like the others. She was -- good.”

“I’m sorry that you didn’t find what you were looking for. And I hope your baby’s not infected. But if it is, I hope you know what must be done.” She then took her leave.

I decided I’d head into the bunker. I wanted to see if there was anything else besides the orientation film that I could use to learn more about DHARMA. While going so, I wandered into the living area to find Locke, Eko, and Jack. The door to the armory was open, revealing a man inside.

“Who’s that?” I asked them.

“Uh,” Locke stammered, wondering if he should even answer this question.

Just as Jack was about to answer, Eko beat him to it, “he is a man some of us believe to be in league with the Others.”

This caught my attention. I walked closer to them. “May I see him?” They glanced at each other separately. “I just want to ask him a question. _One_.”

They allowed me in and locked the door behind me.

The man was nearly bald with blonde hair. He had a torn shirt and had cuts all over.

“Who are you?” he asked me.

“No one really.” I took two small steps and leaned closer. “Truth or Consequences?”

“What?” He asked, confused.

“Tell me. Does the last name Sam Carraway mean anything to you?”

“Did you mean _Nick_ Carraway from _The Great Gatsby_?”

My lips turned upwards into a sneer. Not willing to question him further, I turned around and knocked on the door. A few seconds later, I was let out.

“What did you ask him?” Jack wondered out loud.

“Nothing of consequence,” I answered, before scanning the bookshelves.

“Rachel,” Jack used a tone that demanded answers.

I turned around. “Do you know if there are any DHARMA record books in here?” 

“Uh, no, not to my knowledge,” Locke answered.

“Oh, okay,” I was just about to leave when Jack said my name in a louder tone. I sighed and stopped, saying, “Just if he knew about my dad. He dodged the question, so I can’t say for certain.”

I then took my leave.

When the night came around, I walked back to a certain spot on the beach. Hurley was already there, and the radio was on. We sat there for a long while, listening to music, watching the stars.

  
  



	25. A Map

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel speaks with Eko and decides to draw a map.

Little Aaron was all better by the morning of day fifty nine. That was yesterday. Today? Most people woke up to him crying. Claire kept spouting apologies. She bounced him for a little and that didn’t work. Then she swaddled him. People got to sleep for a little while longer until he started crying again. His diaper probably had to be changed or something. If it’s not that, then he’s hungry, or he needs to burp, or he’s feeling hot, or something. It’s always something.

The only reason I know this is because of Joey, mind you.

The fourth time Aaron woke people up, I approached Claire. “I’m really sorry,” she told me.

“It’s okay.” I held out my arms. “May I try something?”

“Uh, sure.” He handed me the baby.

I got him secure in my arms, making sure his head was supported. I sang softly, “Behind the hill, there’s a busy little still, where you’re pappi’s working in the moonlight. You’re loving ‘pa isn’t quite within the law, so he’s hiding there behind the hill. Bye, bye, baby. Stop your yawning~. Don’t cry baby. Day will be dawning~. And when it does, from the mountain where he was, he’ll be coming with a jug of moonshine. So count your sheep~. Auntie’s singing you to sleep. With the moonshine lullaby~. Lu, lu-lu-lu-lu. Lu, lu-lu-lu-lu.” I let the scatting notes fade out. The baby wasn’t crying anymore.

“Wherein the hell did a kiwi like you learn a song from Annie Get Your Gun?” I turned around to see Sawyer standing there. Everyone else watched from a distance.

“I have cousins in LA. Once, one of them went through this musical faze. So, she had us all watch a bunch of musicals. Annie Get Your Gun was what we had on the tellie, and well, my brother, who was a baby at the time, was crying. So mom brought him to our living room where the song was being sung.”

“Well,” he paused. “Why didn’t  _ she _ sing it?”

I smiled. “My mom  _ could not _ sing.”

“Well, uhm, thanks, Rachel,” Claire told me. I smiled at her before growing back into my tent.

I tried. I really tried to go back to sleep, but it just wasn’t happening today. So I grabbed my basket, thinking that searching for mangos might be a good idea. There aren’t a lot of them stashed at camp. 

As I passed Sawyer’s tent, I was going to ignore him, until I saw what he was reading out of the corner of my eye. I stopped and turned towards him. “Seriously? Judy Bloom?”

“What, got a problem with it, Red?” He asked me.

“No,” I giggled. “It’s just that, I didn’t expect you to pick up a kid’s book.” Wait a minute, he has glasses again? How am I just now noticing? “And where’d you get the glasses anyway?”

“From someone’s luggage, where’d ya think?”

“Ugh.” I resumed my course and got off the beach.

Hours later, I was walking back from gathering the fruit when I spotted Mr. Eko at my tent door.

“Hello Eko,” I greeted as I set my basket down. “To what do I owe this visit?”

“Why did you ask the man in the armory if he knew your father?” He asked me. Why would he be wondering about that? 

“Because, my dad’s tied to this island.” I moved to sit down. Eko followed suit. “I can feel it. Ever since this man, Ethan, said something about him, I’ve just been bothered by it.”

“Ethan, was he one of The Others?”

“That was our leading theory,” my eyes scanned the beach. “Unless he’s part of DHARMA. Which, by the way, I’m pretty sure they’ve abandoned this island.”

“Why do you say that?” 

“This medical station was practically stripped clean and devoid of people when we went in there.” I faced him. “ _ Your _ bunker was empty before your people moved in, right?”

He briefly glanced down at the sand as he breathed out a laugh. “You raise a fair point.” He then studied my eyes. “But that’s not the only thing that is bothering you about your father?”

I sighed. “Unfortunately, no. I keep seeing him, and not in dreams. Most of the time, he’s  _ standing _ right in front of me. And speaking to me. Not only that, but a friend of mine who died on the island—not Shannon—She appears to me as well. And we also have conversations. And then there’s Walt. He’s always drenched in water, and he mumbles. I-“ I stopped myself. “I’m ranting, aren’t I?”

“It is okay. You needed to tell someone eventually.” I studied him. He looked like he had done the same thing, but for a completely different reason. 

“Have you ever seen or experienced something…  _ supernatural _ about this place?”

He thought for a small moment. “There was this black smoke.”

“The smoke monster.” I nodded. “Or at least that’s what I call him. Not sure about anyone else though.”  _ The man in black?  _ Desmond’s words echoed in my head.  _ The black smoke monster? _ “I’ve encountered him before.”

“You have?”

“Yeah,” I picked up some sand and let it slide out of my hand. “I ran. I fell, sprained my ankle. Kate found me in the knick of time and brought me to the cave. What’d you do?”

“I stood there.” Eyes wide, I faced him. “I stared it down, without fear. It soon left.”

“Seriously?” I asked her.

“Yes. Maybe it can help you with your father.”

“How?”

“What if you are asking the wrong side?” My brows furrowed. “Don’t ask The Others. Ask, what was his name? Desmond. Or maybe even try this smoke monster.”

“Desmond’s out somewhere. Wouldn’t be surprised if I saw him hiking through the jungle, but I know that he shifts about away from camp. But I don’t think he’s the right person to ask.”

“Why would you say that?”

“I just… I get the impression that he was down in that Hatch for a couple of years with no contact from anyone except the other man in the bunker. Until he died.”

“Then that is unfortunate.” He stood. “I wish you luck.” I watched him as he walked away.

I went into my tent to grab my notebook. Why? I felt like making myself busy. But what should I draw? Ummmm. Oh, yeah. Okay. Maybe.

First, I drew an outline of the current beach and the old beach. On the current beach, I drew a tent and marked it as “current camp.” Then at the old beach, I drew the fuselage and wrote, “crash site.” In all honesty, they aren’t too far apart. From there, I filled the space in with bunchings of trees. Then I sketched the mountains and some cliffs. Not too high on the mountains, I marked where the caves would be, if I was remembering correctly. Next, I estimated where The Swan/The Hatch would be. Past the caves, and close to a river. Next, I marked where the golf course would be. Just south of the caves. After that, I remembered the spot where Jin and I fish all the time and drew it. It was just north of our camp.

When Kate walked by, I went up to her and asked, “Do you remember where the cockpit was?” I held my notebook in my hands. She stared at me blankly. It was so long ago, I don’t know if she would remember. “I’m trying to draw a map of the island.”

“Uh,” she glanced at my map, then in front of her. She tried to orient herself, twisting her body in different directions. Then she nodded and turned back to the map. Her finger started at the fuselage, made it past Hurley’s golf course, and rested right in front of the cliffs close to the cave. “There. I think.” I drew the nose of the plane and marked it, “The cockpit.” 

Before she could go away, I asked, “Do you remember where the Black Rock would be?”

“Uh.” From the current camp, she traced her finger past the river. “Draw a mountain range and a waterfall here.” Then she placed her finger a bit north from there. “There. There was the Black Rock. Oh, and draw a circle around that and everything east of that and mark that as the dark territory.” 

“Okay, thank you.” She smiled and then walked away. With the new mountains and buildings in place, I stared at the map. The medical bunker. What was it called? Oh! The Staff! Starting from the swan, I drew more bunches of trees, and a few more mountains. Then, Theoden mountains become a long stretch of cliffs if I’m not mistaken. The staff would be close to The Line that the bearded man proclaimed, I think, anyway. But it would be right near a cliff. I drew the three of them way up north from The Swan. I then remembered that from the golf course, you could see some more mountains. They were basically on the other side of the river. South of the golf course, the river jets into the sea. From Sayid, I heard that at the base of those mountains, to the south and East is mostly sand with a little bit of forest.

Sayid walked by and noticed what I was drawing. The man knelt down and pointed south of the fuselage. “There should be a large crater here, stretching for most of the land.” Then he traced along the east coast and stopped just below the dark territory circle. “And I found a cable here that goes into the ocean. It also goes into the forest for a while. His finger then tapped on a spot in the map, close to where he said the cable would be. “ _ There _ was Rousseau’s bunker before she blew it up.” He studdied my work. “This is actually very good. We might be able to get this up to scale.” He then got up.

I looked towards his direction, asking, “Really?”

“Of course.”

“Thank you, Sayid.”

He walked away, saying, “You’re very welcome.”

I drew the crater, cable and the bunker.

Well, that was the extent of my knowledge about the island. Maybe if I can find Eko again, he can tell me where the DHARMA facility his people occupied. And the tail’s crash sight.

———

Eight year old me was wandering bored around the house when I came across my father. He was hunched over papers on the kitchen table. It was mostly green with the lines all over it. He had a pencil, a protractor and a compass out.

“What’s that dad?” I asked about the paper.

“This is a topographical map,” he told me as I sat beside him in one of the chairs.

“What’s that mean?”

“Topographic? It means the detailed mapping or charting of the features of a relatively small area, district, or locality.

“So then what’s this a map of?” My pointer finger landed on the paper.

He sighed. “Sorry sweetie, it’s work confidential.”

“Awww, come on, pwease?” I tried to make a cute face.

He started to pick up the items. “I shouldn’t have been working down here,” he muttered. He then left me sitting at the kitchen table.

———

Heh. Even when I was a young child he was secretive.

The black man came around about an hour later. “Hey, Eko?” Hearing his name, he walked towards me. 

“What can I do for you, Rachel?” He asked.

I showed him the map that I was drawing. “I’m making this map, and I wanted to know where the tail section landed and maybe where your facility was.”

“The bunker…” he traced the path his group took to get to our camp. Past the river, into the forest past the dark territory, along the beach. His tracing finger stopped at the mountains to the right of the Line. “Here. This is where the facility was.” He then scanned the map and pointed to the beach on the other side of the long stretch of cliffs. North west of the line. “There. That was where the tail was.”

“Thank you, Eko.”

“You are welcome, Rachel.”

With my known knowledge of the island complete, I set the sketchbook down in my tent and napped.


	26. Day Sixty One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lot happens, 
> 
> that’s all this writer is going to say.

By the next day, (sixty one) I was hanging around the beach, studying my map when Jin came up to me. I smiled, having not seen this guy for a few days. That, and Sawyer’s been telling people that Sun came to him for a pregnancy test. _“Hello Jin,”_ I greeted him in Korean. 

_“Hello Leichel.”_ He stopped himself, as if sounding something out. “R-Rachel.”

“Yes?” I asked. He took a few steps closer.

“ _People keep talking around me. They, I hear them say my name, but I can’t understand them.”_

 _“Maybe you should ask Sun about it?”_ I suggested.

He gave me a confused look. _“Why?”_

_“Just ask her. It’s not my place to say.”_

He thought it over and nodded, heading off in the direction of Sun’s garden.

My eyes scanned the beach to find Sayer, Hurley, and Kate playing a card game. They were betting mangos.

This ought to be fun. 

A few rounds later, Jack had won all of Sawyer’s fruits. Kate and Hurley decided to duck out of the game while the doctor suggested that they play for the meds. A crowd gathered as we watched Sawyer get his ass kicked. 

With those good vibes, I went back to my tent and grabbed my notebook, flipping to the pages with the map. Maybe I can go check out this waterfall.

So, I traveled to The Swan’s hatch, then headed towards the river. The stream was almost quiet. Faint trickling noises filled my ears. Nothing else spoke.

———

“Honey! A large SUV’s parked outside!” I heard my mother yell on a Saturday afternoon. It was only a week until my ninth birthday.

I rushed to the window to find a giant black car. My father walked out the door and greeted four men, all in suits. 

“Your intel-“ one of them began to say.

“Why don’t we talk in my office?” He offered for them to go inside ahead of him. Two of the men regarded me with disinterest. The other two ignored my presence. Noticing my stares, my dad suggested, “Uh, Rach, why don’t you go work on your homework?

“I already did,” I told him.

He stepped closer to me and knelt down. “Then, how about a puzzle. Go pick one out from the living room. I promise I’ll join you as soon as I can.”

I smiled and ran off into the living room. The noise of heavy feet walking up stairs filled my ears.

———

I had arrived at the waterfall. Gushing liquid roared. It looked really peaceful over here actually. The water flowed into this massive pool. Taking off my socks and shoes, I dipped my toes in the water. It was cold. Although, would I really expect something different? It’s not like there are hot springs on this island… unless there are and we just haven’t found any yet. 

I heard whispering. But it wasn’t Walt. There was my father’s voice, Elena’s voice, Joey’s voice, my mother’s voice, Shannon’s voice, and Boone’s voice. I couldn’t make out what any of them were saying, they were all talking over each other. I couldn’t see them this time either. They were all disembodied. Nothing physical tied into this plane of existence. They sounded as if they were right next to me.

I turned around to see black smoke come barreling towards me. Uhm… What did Eko say? _“I stared it down, without fear. It soon left.”_ Okay, okay, calm down. Come on. Deep breath Rachel. Don’t show it fear. 

Don’t think about it. No fear. But what was the opposite of fear? Courage? Curiosity? 

“Curiosity killed the cat,” my dad said.

But satisfaction brought it back. Yeah, okay. And courage?

“Courage requires rage,” he continued.

Oh shut up with your stupid word play!

“I’m trying to help you.”

Just Shush!

“Accept it!” Elena shouted.

Accept what?!

“That you’re afraid. Only then can you move forward.”

I blinked for a second and the damn thing was right in front of me. Accept that you’re afraid. It stopped. Black essence leaked from the dark cloud. I knew it didn’t have eyes, but it felt like it did. We stayed like that for about a minute.

Okay, but this is weird right? Like, what the heck? “What are you doing?” I finally asked it, pretty sure it wouldn’t answer. My form became more relaxed, but my eyes squinted slightly with suspicion. “You’ve gone after me once, is this your second attempt?” Uh, come on, what did Jack and Kate say Rousseau called it? Oh, right. “Some security system you are. Do you know who I am? What even are you?” 

And just like that, it floated away. It made the strange metallic animal noises as it moved the trees out of its way. 

I exhaled a breath I didn’t know I was holding. Then I picked up my socks and shoes and put them back on my feet.

I smiled and laughed a bit. Jeez I’m silly, why and how would it even answer me? But it left me alive for a reason. Twice now. This whole thing is crazy. Right? Right? I mean there’s no way.

Okay but, why wasn’t Walt there? I mean, I see him all the time? 

To be fair, everyone else you heard was dead.

This is true. I stopped. Wait, what does this even mean?

You’re asking the wrong person.

I sighed as I hopped over the stones in the river. There I went again, talking to myself. What I heard next nearly got me to slip on the last stone.

“Well, it’s not as crazy as what _we_ went through,” I heard Shannon say. Once I regained my steps, I turned around and she was standing right there. She short haired blonde stepped closer to me.

“Hey,” I greeted.

“Hey yourself.”

“Rachel?! Is that you?” I whipped my head around to see Sayid, Charlie, and Ana Lucia running up to me.

“What’s going on?” I asked, getting out of the river. 

“It’s Henry, the guy we have locked up in the hatch. He was lying.” 

“Why am I not surprised,” I muttered. 

“Where’re Jack and Locke?” Charlie asked me.

“Uh, Locke’s in the hatch, and, uhhh, last time I saw Jack he was on the beach.”

Sayid huffed. “Alright, there’s no time to get him, come on!” I followed the trio as they raced to the hatch.

As it turns out though, we didn’t need to go to the beach to find Jack. He and Kate were standing right next to these crates.

“What the bloody hell is that?” Charlie asked the duo.

Ignoring him, Jack turned to Sayid. “What’d you find?” My eyes widened as they told them the story. The cover story would have been perfect. Now all who was left to tell was Locke. 

Together, the five of us raced down into the Hatch. 

Locke looked hurt and ‘Henry Gale’ was out of his cage.

“Get away from him!” Jack commanded Henry.

He got up, saying, “Wait, you don’t-“

Sayid drew his gun. Wait a minute, where’d he get one? I thought Sawyer had them all. “Step back, right now.”

“Sayid, it’s okay,” said Locke, unable to get his feet off the ground.

The doctor grabbed the Other and slammed him against the wall. “I said, ‘get away!’”

“I let him out,” John tried to explain. “Some kind of lockdown or something—He, he was helping me.”

I snickered. Locke, down. 

“Couldn’t you find the balloon?” Gale asked them rather impatiently.

Sayid took a few steps closer to him. “We did find your balloon, Henry Gale, exactly how you described it. We also found the grave you described -- your wife's grave. The grave you said you dug with your own bare hands. It was all there. Your whole story -- your alibi -- it was true. But still I did not believe it to be true. So I dug up that grave and found that there was not a woman inside. There was a man.” Sayid shows him a driver's license. “A man named Henry Gale.”

It was a good thing Sayid had the sense to dig deeper than what was on the surface. They tied him up in the armory.

Some rustling noise made by the tent flaps woke me up. When my eyes opened, I saw a piece of paper in my tent. I grabbed the flashlight that I stole from Sawyer while he was gone. The note read, “Here’s one more thing to add to your map. It should be south of The Staff - Sayid.” I turned the paper over to find a map. It went from camp into the jungle, past the stream, around the cliffs and the mountains, and into this clearing. What resembled a hot air balloon was drawn in the center of the clearing. I placed it south of the The Staff.

  
  



	27. Books

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some crates dropped in the jungle, Rachel decides to read stuff again, and Hurley attacks Sawyer.

When I woke up again, Jin was shaking me awake. “Rachel,” he nearly shouted. _“Come on, get up. Something was dropped in the jungle?”_

_“What is it?”_

_“We don’t know yet.”_

I walked out of the tent to find that the sun was high in the sky. Jin led me to this spot where basically almost everyone else was. There were boxes upon boxes and jars upon jars, and wrappers upon wrappers of DHARMA issued food. 

Okay, now I feel like DHARMA is just doing this to mess with us.

Huh? I walked closer to the boxes. Their shape as a whole seemed familiar.

Oh, right. These were the same crates we saw last night.

Within the hour, it was established that a pantry was to be built in the camp. That way, everything could be stored out in the open. Anyone can take whatever they want, within reason.

With nothing else to do, and wanting to go out and fish, I figured I might try to get some books from Sawyer. Walking up to his tent, I found him with his new glasses on, reading the manuscript to some show. 

“What do you want?” Sawyer asked me.

“You remember when you came up to me all those weeks ago asking if we could trade books?”

An inkling of a smile appeared on his lips. “Yeah? What about it?”

“Can I have your copy of _A Wrinkle in Time_?” I asked him.

He glanced up at me before turning the page. “Why?”

My legs shifted. “Because I’m bored, and I don’t feel like reading what I already have.”

“And what _do_ you already have?”

I sighed. “ _The Princess Bride_ and _The Da Vinci Code.”_

He smiled and stood. “Tell you what, you give me your copy of _The Da Vinci Code,_ I might -- _Might_ \-- give you _A Wrinkle in Time._ ”

“Might?” I crossed my arms as he moved to place his current reading material on the ground. 

“What condition is it in?”

“Good, and I didn’t expect you to care this much about books.”

He scoffed. “You’re -- what are ya, fifteen? Didn't you read _A Wrinkle in Time_ in school or somethin’?”

I almost laughed. “Dude seriously? Have you heard my kiwi accent? I’m not American.”

“Fine, hold on.” He walked into his tent. A few minutes later, he emerged with the book in his hands. “Here. Now how ‘bout you give me your book.”

This was probably one of the few instances in which I was glad my tent was near his. I ducked inside my tent, which was noticeably smaller. I built for practicality (as one person, I didn’t exactly need a lot of space), while he built for comfort. I took the book out and handed it to him. He handed me _A Wrinkle in Time._

It’s been about three hours since I’ve been outside my tent and I’ve already finished the book. Damn it. Maybe The Swan would have something good to read.

Once I got over there, I noticed Locke laying down in the bunk beds, wiggling his toes. Jack was sitting next to him being a doctor. “Good. Now, can you do the other one?”

Locke wiggled the toes on his other foot while Jack inspected the leg more. “Is it broken?” the bald man asked.

“Without an x-ray, you’re just going to have to do with my best guess.”

“Hey guys,” I greeted, letting them know of my approach. 

They both glanced my way. “Hey, Rach.”

I then turned around to look at the books on the shelves. I walked as if perusing a bookstore. The armory doors were open, and I heard Sayid’s and Ana Lucia’s voices.

“Anything, in particular, you’re looking for?” Locke asked me.

“Not exactly.” I stopped when I came across a short book titled: _The Most Dangerous Game_.

______

“What’s that?” my ten-year-old self asked my father. He sat on his chair in the living room reading a very short book. I placed my head on the arm of the chair.

“Oh, this?” he asked, holding up. “This is not a book for you to read, just yet.”

“Why?”

“Well for one, it’s a complicated read, never mind all the deaths in it.”

______

“Rachel,” Jack’s voice was loud as if trying to get my attention. I turned around. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” I quickly grabbed the book. I then picked out two of Ray Bradbury’s books: _The Veldt_ and _the Foghorn_ . Next, my hand came across _The Tale_ by Joseph Conrad.

By the time I got back to the beach, I saw Sawyer trying to eat an oreo by taking the cookies apart. He was doing a pitiful job, as the cookies seemed to crumble. Apparently, Hurley noticed it too. 

He walked up to the dirty blonde. “You gotta twist it to get the frosting,” Hurley told him, making a twisting motion with his hands. “Pulling it will break the cookies.”

“Well that’s what I get for not going to the cookies expert in the first place,” Sawyer muttered, not even trying to collect the broken bits from the sand. “What can I do you for, Deep-dish?”

Seriously? Again with the nicknames. 

“I’m kinda looking for something.”

Technically, this is none of my business, but now I’m curious. 

“Forget it,” Sawyer told him, standing up. He quickly glanced at me. “I’m done trading. I got enough food now to open a chain of mini-marts.” He smiled. “Hey, you think Sayid needs a job?”

Hurley shifted his weight. “Well, actually, I was sort of hoping you’d do me a favor. Remember when I helped you out with that tree frog -- that you killed?”

I’m sorry, he did what now?

Sawyer placed his hands on his hips. “Yeah, I remember.”

“I sort of-” he checked over his shoulders to see if anyone was around. I quickly sat and opened one of the books. “Need some medicine.”

“What do you need?”

“It’s called Clonazepam.” The statement was almost phrased as a question.

“Clonaza -- what? What the hell’s that?”

“So you can calm down. Or, for when you’re seeing things that aren’t supposed to be there.” My eyes shifted to them again. I mean, I probably don’t need it, but still, I’ve been seeing a lot of dead folk.

“What stuff you see?” Sawyer asked him, crossing his arms.

“I don’t know. Maybe like a bald guy in a bathrobe.”

“You mean that guy right there?” Sawyer pointed behind him as a joke. Hurley fell for it though, turning around with anxiety-filled eyes. The con man laughed. “Gotcha.”

Angered, the big lug turned towards him and tackled the man. My eyes widened, half with shock, and half with laughter. A tarp wall went down with them, covering their figures from view, but if I had to guess, wrestling was occurring.

“What the hell are you doing?” Sawyer asked. “Get off me!”

“Who the hell do you think you are?!”

“Let go of me!”

Jin and Sun ran out of their tents to see what was going on. “ _What?”_ Sun wondered. 

The tarp soon rolled off of them as Hurley punched Sawyer with each word, “Pork Rinds! Barbar! Jabba! Stay Puft!”

 _“Go help him,”_ Sun urged, but Jin just looked at the scene with amusement.

“Mango!” Hurley kept going. “Lardo!”

“Let go of me! Get off me!” Sawyer tried to fight back.

 _“Come on, go help him!_ ” Jin let the scene play out a bit more before finally going over there. He pulled Hurley off of Sawyer, but the curly-haired brunette struggled.

The blonde con man stood. “What the hell's wrong with you?!”

 _“Stop_ ,” Jin tried.

Sawyer pointed at Hurley. “You’re crazy!”

At those words, the man seemed to relax. “I’m not crazy -- I’m not crazy,” he said as he stood there. The grown crowd left. Soon, Hurley did too.

Sawyer stared at my amused expression. “Really?”

“Yep.” I told him.

I ended up reading the Bradbury stuff first. The Veldt was about this family. The parents gave these two kids this nursery that changed the background walls. One could ask for a jungle or the Sahara. What the parents didn’t know about it, and what the kids found out, was that certain elements could be brought to life. I lion, for instance, could actually be standing there in the room with you. The kids eventually used it to their advantage and killed the adults. That’s the gist of it, anyway. 

The second one, The Foghorn, is about these two guys who have the night shift at this remote lighthouse. Basically, the fog horn attached to the lighthouse attracts this monster. I envisioned it as this sort of Loch Ness-like beast. McDunn, the older of the two men tells the younger that the monster had been coming here for two years and that he attributes the monster's actions to feelings of unrequited love for the lighthouse, whose foghorn sounds exactly like the wailings of the sea monster himself. The fog horn tricks the monster into thinking he has found another of his kind, one who acts as though the monster did not even exist. McDunn and Johnny (the younger man) turn off the fog horn, and in a rage, the monster destroys the lighthouse before retreating to the sea. The lighthouse is reconstructed with reinforced concrete and Johnny finds a new job away from the lighthouse. Years later, Johnny returns and asks McDunn if the monster ever returned; it never did. McDunn hypothesizes that the monster will continue to wait in the depths of the ocean and only emerge to look for others like it when humankind is gone from the world.

Both of them are “cheery stories,” I know.

The next two were a little bit less cheery. 

In The Tale, by Joseph Conrad, an officer breaches a ship he believes may or may not be an enemy vessel. The captain of the breached ship says he’s just a lost merchant ship. The officer isn’t sure if he believes him or not. But then assures himself that the captain of the breached ship is lying, because of a menacing stare he gave him. In the end, the officer decides to test the breached ship, he sends the captain of the breached ship on a dangerous course. The course he sends him on will surely send him to his death, because of harsh conditions and treacherous waters. Now if the captain of the breached ship was lying, and really knew the waters, he would not go on that course. But he didn’t know. So he went and sure enough, his ship sank. This shows that he was innocent all along.

And finally for _The Most Dangerous Game._ This one was a bit longer than the other two.

Big-game hunter Sanger Rainsford and his friend, Whitney, are traveling to the Amazon rainforest for a jaguar hunt. After a discussion about how they are "the hunters" instead of "the hunted," Whitney goes to bed and Rainsford hears gunshots. He climbs onto the yacht's rail and accidentally falls overboard, swimming to Ship-Trap Island, which is notorious for shipwrecks. On the island, he finds a palatial chateau inhabited by two Cossacks: the owner, General Zaroff, and his gigantic deaf-mute servant, Ivan. 

Zaroff, another big-game hunter, knows of Rainsford from his published account of hunting snow leopards in Tibet. Over dinner, he explains that hunting animals has become boring for him, so he moved to Ship-Trap and set it up to trick ships into wrecking themselves on the jagged rocks that surround it. He takes the survivors captive and hunts them for sport, giving them food, clothing, a knife, and a three-hour head start, and using only a small-caliber pistol for himself. Any captives who can elude Zaroff, Ivan and a pack of hunting dogs for three days are set free. He reveals that he has won every hunt to date. Captives are offered a choice between being hunted or turned over to Ivan, who once served as official knouter for The Great White Czar. Rainsford denounces the hunt as barbarism, but Zaroff replies by claiming that "life is for the strong." Realizing he has no way out, Rainsford reluctantly agrees to be hunted.

During his head start, Rainsford lays an intricate trail in the forest and then climbs a tree. Zaroff finds him easily, but decides to play with him like a cat would a mouse, standing underneath the tree Rainsford is hiding in, smoking a cigarette, and then abruptly departing. After the failed attempt at eluding Zaroff, Rainsford builds a Malay man-catcher, a weighted log attached to a trigger. This contraption injures Zaroff's shoulder, causing him to return home for the night, but he shouts his respect for the trap before departing. The next day Rainsford creates a Burmese tiger pit, which kills one of Zaroff's hounds. He sacrifices his knife and ties it to a sapling to make another trap, which kills Ivan when he stumbles into it. To escape Zaroff and his approaching hounds, Rainsford dives off a cliff into the sea; Zaroff, disappointed at Rainsford's apparent suicide, returns home. Zaroff smokes a pipe by his fireplace, but two issues keep him from peace of mind: the difficulty of replacing Ivan and the uncertainty of whether Rainsford perished in his dive.

Zaroff locks himself in his bedroom and turns on the lights, only to find Rainsford waiting for him; he had swum around the island in order to sneak into the chateau without the dogs finding him. Zaroff congratulates him on winning the "game," but Rainsford decides to fight him, saying he is still a beast-at-bay and that the original hunt is not over. Accepting the challenge, Zaroff says that the loser will be fed to the dogs, while the winner will sleep in his bed. Then the story abruptly concludes later that night by stating that Rainsford enjoyed the comfort of Zaroff's bed, implying that he won the duel.

See? Long, right? This story, I think, is more relatable to this damned rock --probably, anyway. Somehow, Zaroff reminds me of the others. Don’t know why, but he does. And well, it takes place on a freaking island guys.

Coincidence? 

Who are you talking to?

No idea.

I sighed as I settled into my tent for a while. I just wished someone would come rescue us off this wretched island.


	28. Micheal’s Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Micheal’s return brings death.

I did say that I wanted to get off the island two days ago, but the way this attempt went, I’m guessing we’re not getting off this rock any time soon. Yesterday, Bernard tried to get people to build a giant S.O.S. sign out of rocks for passing planes. It didn’t go very well though. He wasn’t that good of a manager and people soon lost faith in the project. Jin was the last one to stay.

Even though some of us were actively trying to get off the island, it’s like we’ve made this place our home. We have a freaking pantry, you know. Also, apparently Eko and Charlie are building this church. 

Today, I didn’t think I had anything better to do besides head down into the hatch. Maybe I’d find some more reading material there. That’s when I found, well…

Locke and Jack stood near the bunk beds. Both of their postures were in this state of relaxed, but on edge. 

“They didn’t give us anything,” Jack told him.

“So, it was a coincidence that he came wandering out?” Locke guessed.

Walking closer, I saw that there was a body on the bottom bunk. 

“I was shouting,” Jack explained. “He heard my voice. What, they just let Michael go hoping we would keep up our end of the bargain? You think they're on the honor system?”

“Holy crap,” escaped my mouth before either of them noticed me. 

“Hey Rach-“

I interrupted the doctor, walking towards the unconscious Micheal. Once at the beds, I knelt down. “Is that really-“

“Yes, it is.”

I studied the black man’s face for a moment. “He doesn’t look too good.”

“He passed out when he found Kate and I at the Line.”

“The hell were you doing at the Line?” I asked with my brows raised.

“Excellent question, Rachel,” Locke added. So he didn’t know about whatever transpired.

Kate walked in, saying, “Hey.” Jack turned towards her and parroted her.

“So, what did you do?” I asked again. Jack returned his gaze to mine. His eyes told me that he really didn’t want to explain it.

“We were out trying to trade Henry for Walt,” Kate filled us in, walking towards us.

I nearly smiled. They haven’t forgotten about him. 

On my way back to the beach with a book in my hands, I saw Walt again. He didn’t say anything, but he still looked dripping wet. “Jack and Kate found your dad,” I told him. “And I suppose, with his help we can get you back. _If_ you are the real Walt standing in front of me, which I don’t understand how that would even be possible, unless you have some comic book super power-like spiel.” The kid just stared at me, making me sigh. “I guess I might be seeing you soon,” I told him as I continued my trek to the beach.

Before even reading the book, I decided that I might go and take a walk on the shore.

I sighed. My mom would have loved this place… if it wasn’t such a death trap with weird science facilities all over the place. I could just see her sitting in an outdoor lounge chair, sipping on a martini with her sunglasses on. 

And Joey would be running around kicking a football (soccer ball). My dad would also be in a lounge chair, reading something. But me? I’d spend most of my time swimming in the ocean. It’s a pity that I haven’t been in the water at all, but something about it seemed off somehow. Even if I wrote it down on paper, I couldn’t really explain it.

I looked to my right to see Hurley and Libby speaking with each other. I couldn’t exactly hear what they were saying, but after Libby left, I saw Jin give Hurley a thumbs up.

I wanted to, but for some reason I didn’t tell Jin about Micheal. I don’t think that I could. Sure, they were pretty much good friends at this point. Yet, I don’t know. Something was off. Call it fishy if you want. 

The sky was beginning to appear different colors. It must be sundown. I got back to my tent to see Jack, Locke, and Kate approach Sawyer. I then saw them burn the manuscript he was reading. Damn it, I wanted to read that next.

The con man pulled the salvageable pages out of the fire. “What’s your problem doc?!” Sawyer asked him.

“It’s time to give us the guns back,” Jack told him.

“You burn the ending of my book and now you want-“

“Where are they, James?” Locke interrupted him.

Wait, James??? Who the fuck—oh, that’s Sawyer’s real name isn’t it? Huh.

“You too, Brutus?” ‘James’ retorted. I nearly chortled.

“Just take us there, Sawyer, alright?” Kate requested. “Quite playing around.”

Sawyer faced Jack. “What, did you bring her along for a sympathy vote? She ain't in my head, Doc.” Facing Kate, he told her, “Why don't you two just go play in the jungle, huh?”

Jack drew a gun and aimed it at the con man. Wait, where’d he get one? Sawyer reached behind him to get his own handgun, but didn’t find it there. 

“Ah, that bitch,” ‘James’ remarked. “She stole my damn gun.” They looked at him as if asking who it was. “Ana Lucia.”

“Why would she need a gun?” Jack questioned.

“Son of a bitch.” The group rushed off to the hatch.

I at first didn’t feel like following them, but then they sort of took a while to get back. Curiosity consumed me as I headed to the back door of The Swan.

I mean, she was probably going after Henry?? As to why, I didn’t know.

It seemed that Eko had the same idea. We spotted each other on the way over. Neither of us questioned the reason for the other being there. 

I heard Micheal’s voice. He was talking fast. Eko and I glanced at each other before moving close to the hatch doors. Jack, Locke, Kate, and Sawyer were already there. “I was sleeping and I heard gunshots. I came out of the bedroom and there was this guy. He had a gun and—“

“Okay,” said Jack, moving to help him off the ground. I could see a bullet wound in his arm. “We’ve gotta get you up.”

“Let me help you,” Eko told them, moving to get Micheal off the floor. The rest of us went into The Swan to see Ana and Libby dead. Eko and Micheal soon entered in after us.

Ana was certainly dead, but as Kate went over to check Libby, she coughed up blood. Jack rushed towards the blonde. 

“Okay,” said the doctor. “We've got to get her up. We've got to get her to the back room, okay?” They put her on the lower bunk bed and tended to her. Meanwhile, Eko prayed to god and tended to Lucia’s dead body.

“When did this happen?” Jack asked Micheal.

“I don’t know, twenty minutes, maybe half an hour?” Micheal told him. He held his arm.

“We can pick up the trail, catch up to him,” 

“Man’s got a head start,” Sawyer pointed out. “He’s got a gun, and he ain’t afraid to-“

Jack stood and faced him. “He shot three of our people! One of them is dead. One of them is-“ the doctor looked as if he might cry.

“Who's going to take care of Libby while you're off playing Daniel Boone?” 

“I will go,” Eko decided, making the two men turn towards him. Eko turned to Locke. “John, you have tracking experience, yes?”

John nodded. “Yeah,” he said.

“We will find his trail together.” The two of them moved to get out of the bunker. I’m pretty sure the sky is dark now, so they might not have much luck.

Jack told them, “You find anything -- anything -- you come right back here and we figure out what we're going to do next, together.”

Locke waved him off as the two went out.

“So,” I said as I walked up to Micheal. He bandaged up his wound. “Did you see him, Walt?”

“Uh, no, no I didn’t, Rachel,” he told me, not looking into my eyes. 

“He’s lying,” voices whispered in my head.

“What?” I asked out loud. Micheal looked at me strangely. “Oh, I thought I heard something. You said you didn’t see him?”

“No, I didn’t.”

I offered to help, but Jack and Kate said they had it. I ended up perusing the bookshelves again. But once I started reading, I couldn’t focus. Worry consumed me. I tried not to think about it, but Libbey was laying right there, and she was dying. 

“Where the hell are they?” Jack wondered out loud as he and Kate continued to treat her.

“Just calm down,” Kate urged him. “Finding his trail in the dark is not going to be easy. They'll be back.”

“She say anything? Libby?” Micheal asked as he walked back into the room. The man had been pacing all around The Swan.

Jack shook his head, saying, “She's still unconscious. The bleeding stopped.”

“That’s good, right?” I asked as I leaned against the wall.

“No. It’s not good.”

“And there’s nothing you can-“ Micheal was beginning to say.

“I can make her comfortable,” the doctor told us. Oh. That meant that she was definitely going to die. Jack looked at Sawyer. “But I don’t have what I need.”

“Why are you looking at me?” ‘James’ asked him impatiently. “I gave you all the damn meds two days ago-“

“The heroine, Sawyer.”

“Wait, there’s _actually_ some on the island?” I blurted out. The adults glanced my way for only a moment.

“Yeah, that’s what’s in those damn statues,” Sawyer stated. 

My brows raised. Damn it.“The Virgin Marys’?” 

“Yes the VM’s!” The con man may or may not have said that a little too loudly. He then turned to the doctor. “Give me twenty minutes.”

“Kate’s going with you,” Jack decided.

He gave him a look that read: are you serious? “It doesn’t take two people to-“

“Kate is going with you.”

“What are you talking about?” Kate asked the doctor. “Why would he need me to go with him?”

“Jack-o here knows his heroin's in my stash with the guns,” Sawyer figured. “So, I can either show you where it's at, or let poor Libby suffer. That pretty much it, Doc?”

Jack shrugged, saying. “Yeah. Yeah, that’s pretty much it.”

Well, there you go.

“Let’s go, freckles.” Reluctantly, she followed the man out. I opted to try and sleep on the seating area, knowing that I wouldn’t otherwise get any.


	29. Shooting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sawyer teaches Rachel how to shoot before the funeral, and other things happen...

My eyes snapped open to the noise of people shouting. 

“They’re dead!” Hurley’s voice came to my ears. They must have been mid conversation. The feeling of a blanket wrapped around me felt nice. “Ana Lucia and Libby are dead. I mean, we haven't even buried them yet.”

Also, when did Hurley get here? Must have been while I was still sleeping.

“Me and you will take Libby, okay?” Jack asked. He then paused as if turning to someone else. “Can you-?”

“Yeah,” said Kate. “Of course.”

I sat up. “Mornin’ sleepy head,” Sawyer said as he tossed me a fruit. I caught it. 

“Sawyer, could you-?” Jack asked him.

“Yeah,” the con man nodded.

“What’s going on?” I asked groggily. I bit into the fruit, not caring about peeling its skin.

“We’re getting Walt back,” Micheal told me, nodding to himself. “After the funeral.”

“Can I come?” The adults stared at me.

“I don’t think it’s the best idea sweetheart,” Sawyer told me.

I got off the furniture, letting the blanket fall to the ground. “I have been seeing Walt for weeks now!” I argued. “I feel like I’m supposed to go with you.”

“You’re not coming, and that’s final,” Jack projected at me. 

I glared at him. You’re not my dad, Jack. 

“Whoa, whoa,” Kate said, walking towards us. “You don’t have to yell at her.” 

“I didn’t _yell_ at her,” Jack told her.

The woman then turned to me. “I don’t think you should go either.” I tried to give her a blank stare. And you’re not my mom, Kate. “It’s not that either of us don’t trust you, or the fact that you’re a kid-“

“Well,” Sawyer added in an upped pitch, signifying that that was debatable.

“Teenager,” I muttered. 

“You don’t know how to handle guns,” Kate told me. “And none of us want you to get hurt out there.”

“Then teach me how to use one. Or I could use my spear.” They all stared at me again. “What? Who knows, I might be a good shot.” I then gestured towards Micheal. “And he hasn’t said no or anything.”

They all turned towards him. “She can come,” he told them. The adults looked at him as if he was crazy. “ _If_ she’s a good shot.”

“I can teach her,” said Sawyer.

And so it was settled. Jack turned to Micheal and told him, “You should stay here. We’ll bury them tonight, then we’ll figure out what’s next.”

Jack’s selected humans carried the bodies out of the hatch. I went with them, but only to get to my tent. Once on the sandy ground, I huffed and laid down.

A few minutes later, someone came up to my tent door. “Knock knock,” said Eko.

“Oh, hey Eko,” I said from inside the tent.

“Hello, Rachel. You were creating a map, yes?”

“Yeah, why?” I asked as I got it out of my bag. “Got something to add?” I flipped to the page before stepping out.

“There is a Beechcraft just near the waterfall,” said Eko, pointing to the waterfall across from the hatch. “And under that plane is another facility. The Pearl, it is called. It’s basically a monitoring station. We can see what goes on in the Swan from there.”

“Why would they do that?” I wondered out loud. 

“To monitor the people pushing the button. The man in the orientation tapes said that the people pushing the button think it is very important work, but in actuality it is just an experiment.”

“Somehow, I’m not surprised,” I told him.

“Locke doesn’t believe in the hatch anymore.”

“I can see why he wouldn’t.” All he’s worked for has turned out to be fake for the purpose of an experiment.

“But anyway, that is another thing to add.”

Before he could leave, I asked him, “What did the logo look like?”

“It was blank.”

“Thanks Eko,” I told him as he walked back into the forest.

I noticed Locke sitting on the beach all by himself. He didn’t look like he wanted to be bothered, content with his current solitude.

Turning my head, I saw Jin and Sun approach Micheal. Jack stood near him. Soon, others started noticing that he was back and ran up to the man. Then the people noticed the bodies.

“She deserved it, right?” Shannon asked me, suddenly appearing. “Ana Lucia, or whatever her name is?”

I nearly smiled. “Not entirely sure.”

“How can you say that?” She asked me.

“Yo red!” I heard Sawyer’s voice. “Come on!” He had one rifle (no, it wasn’t an AK-47) and a roll of duct tape with him. I sighed as I walked over to him. “We’re gonna be shootin’ at some trees.”

Once we were far enough away from the camp, we came across a small clearing. He went up to one of the trees and placed two medium sized pieces of tape on the tree.

“Alright,” he said, handing the gun to me. “Do you know how to hold one of these?” He held out the gun towards me but then refrained. “Actually, before we get onto that, do you know which eye your dominant eye is?”

“No?” I gave him a weird look.

“Alright,” he sighed. “Make a triangle with your hands and focus on the duct tape on that tree.” He pointed to the one in front of us as I made the triangle. “Close your left eye. If the spot on the tree remains in view, you’re right eye dominant. If it gets covered by your hand, you’re left eye dominant.”

I closed my left eye, and the tape was covered. “Alright, I think I’m left eye dominant.”

“You think?”

“I _know,”_ I corrected.

“Good. Now on to holding the weapon. Are you right handed or left handed?”

“Right handed.” 

He nodded, giving the gun to me. “Alright.” As he explained the various steps, I followed them. “That’s your trigger hand. Hold the gun in the area right in front of the trigger with your left hand. Give it a light grip, not a death grip. Rest the butt of the gun against your right shoulder. Not your armpit or your collarbone. With your right hand, hold the area right behind the trigger—the pistol grip. Your hand should be holding it like a firm handshake. Your pointer finger is the trigger finger. Don’t curl it around the trigger unless you’re ready to shoot.

“Now, there isn’t a scope on here, but there are two ridges on top of the gun. It should look like a tiny mountain range. See it?” I nodded. “Okay, since you’re left eye dominant, lean your right cheek against the stock. Make sure where you want to aim is right between the ridges.” He took a few steps back. “I already loaded the gun for ya. Just breathe and keep it steady. Aim for the tape. You can fire when ready.”

I took in a deep breath and exhaled. Focusing on the spot, I fired the gun. Then again. Sawyer walked up to the tape. He then turned back to me with his eyes wide and his brows raised. “Great aim, sweetheart.” He put his hands on the holes in the tape. “Almost dead center. You have three more casings in there if you want some more practice.”

“Uh, yeah, sure.” He raised his arms up in surrender while backing up a few steps. I fired the last three rounds. 

Walking up to the tree again, he said, “Damn, girl!” He pointed to the tape and asked, “You see this?” With his other hand, he motioned for me to come forward. “Come here!” He had this wide grin on his face as I walked up to the tree. “You see this? That is tight!”

I grinned. The bullets were all in a tight deformed circle. He then noticed the way in which I held the rifle sand took it. “Oh, no, you always hold it with the butt facing the ground. If you don’t, thereafter will collect a lot of dirt and cause problems when you fire it again.” He handed it back to me. “But dang girl. You are a good shot.

He showed me how to reload the rifle before taking us back to camp. Jack and Kate awaited us at the con man’s tent. 

“Well?” Jack asked.

“She’s a damn good shot,” Sawyer told him.

Sayid walked up to us, taking note of the guns we were carrying. “Those are the guns, aren't they? What are you doing with them? Especially you, Rachel.”

“Apparently I’m a good shot?” I shrugged.

“We’re ending this thing, Captain Arab,” Sawyer told him.

“When do we leave?” Sayid asked us. Okay, so he wanted this as bad as we did.

“In the morning.”

“You’re not coming, Sayid,” Jack decided.

“Excuse me?” Sayid shot him a look.

“Michael wants to keep it small. Me, Kate, Rachel, Hurley, and him.” Somehow, I almost didn’t believe that. If we were doing this, we might as well have all the people we can get.

“Yeah, well,” Sawyer added. “He says even though Pippy Longstocking and the damn Grape Ape are ideal candidates for the Dirty Dozen -- I'm just going to say we might just want to bring the Red Beret.”

“It's Michael's call,” Jack pointed out. “He knows where we're going.”

“It’s _not_ his call, Jack,” Sayid said. “It’s ours.”

Sawyer handed him a gun. “Welcome aboard.”

I watched as Micheal approached Sayid. He told the Iraqi that he was off the team. Whether it was because Sayid was really just going after Henry for revenge would jeopardize Walt’s safety, or the fact that Micheal gets to decide who goes and stays, I wasn’t sure.

The next day, day sixty five, most of us gathered for the funeral. I wasn’t there for Lucia, but for Libby. She didn’t deserve to get shot. 

Jack spoke for Ana. “Ana Lucia Cortez was -- before we crashed she was a police officer.” Somehow, that just makes sense. “I don't think it was easy for her being here. But I think she did the best she could. She was a woman of few words, and I'm going to follow her example. Rest in peace, Ana.” He got out of the way for Hurley to step in.

“Libby was-“ he teared up. “She was -- she -- Libby was a psychologist, or psychiatrist -- one of those. Either way, she probably helped a lot of people. She helped me. She was my friend. It's not fair that this happened to her. It's not.” He looked as if he was about to burst into tears and sob at any moment. He then turned towards Micheal. “I'm going with you.” Facing the graves, he said, “Goodbye, Libby.”

We initiated a moment of silence. 

“Boat,” muttered Sun. I turned towards the shore to see a small sailboat. “Boat!” Everyone else turned to look. The boat made its way to the sand. I ran up to get a better look, as did some others. No one seemed to be manning it.


	30. Micheal’s Betrayal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Micheal just wanted to do what was best for him and his son. Rachel gets some flashbacks, and learns some unsettling news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one may or may not be my longest chapter in this fic.

We all walked towards the boat. Most of the people began waving and shouting at it. I began to get worried. What if it was the Others? Jack, Sawyer, and Sayid swam over to it. A few minutes later, they came back with a drunk-looking Desmond. I didn’t feel like approaching him.

When night came by, Jin and I had already caught a bunch of fish together and distributed it amongst the people. I ate alone in my tent, but I heard Desmond shouting.

“We are stuck in a bloody snow globe!” The scot shouted. “There’s no outside world! There’s no escape! So just go away, huh? Let me drink.”

Damn. I almost felt sorry for the man.

———

Thirteen year old me sat on the stairs. My father’s study was close to them. I sat on the top one. I wanted to go up to the door to get a better listen, but I couldn’t know how long they would take in there. These visits varied in length.

A few minutes later, the doors opened. The man who exited the room, had a nice suit on, but I also saw a black and white octagonal patch on his collar.

———

After breakfast, the group was ready to head out. Sawyer handed me a rifle while Jack handed Micheal, Kate, and Hurley handguns. 

Hurley refused, saying, “No way. I'm not even going to kill someone.”

“Ain’t that the point?” Sawyer asked him.

“I thought the point was to get Walt back?” 

Well, he’s not lying.

“What’s the matter?” Jack asked. I turned to see the doctor staring at Kate. She looked pensive.

She inclined her head towards me. “All that stuff we found in the medical station,” she said. “Costumes. make-up, fake beards—what if these people just want us to think they're hillbillies?”

“Yeah, like what if they’re actually DHARMA?” I added.

“Listen, I was there,” said Micheal with great authority. “They _are_ hillbillies. They live in huts; they eat fish; they're probably more scared than we are. And they have no idea we're on our way.”

“He’s lying,” the voices told me again. I chose not to respond to them this time.

“Alright, enough jibber jabber,” Sawyer decided. “Let’s roll.” The six of us headed off, with Micheal in the lead.

———

“Rachel?” My dad asked thirteen-year-old me, seeing me on the steps. “What are you doing here? Don’t you have homework, or something?”

“Hey, dad?” I asked, ignoring his question. “What’d that patch mean?” 

“What?” He played dumb.

“There was an octagonal black and white patch on the man’s suit. I think it had writing on it.”

“I didn’t see one.”

———

As we ventured further into the jungle, we spotted a creepy doll. Nope! No way! Not falling for the possessed baby doll!

I rushed past it.

Kate and Sawyer stayed back though.

A few seconds later, a bird screeched out of nowhere. It almost sounded like whispered speech. Clicking from an unloaded gun caught my attention. I turned to see Micheal trying to shoot at the unusual bird, but his weapon was unloaded. I guess Jack doesn’t trust him either.

“Did that bird just say my name?” Hurley wondered out loud.

“Yeah, it did. Right before it crapped gold,” Sawyer joked, walking in front of him. I rolled my eyes.

———

“Dad, seriously, who was he?” I asked him, not budging from the steps.

“No one of importance,” he told me. “And technically, it’s classified by the governments, so…” he shrugged. My father walked a few steps down before saying, “It’s a little hot outside. How about we have some popsicles.”

“Popsicles?” Asked an excited Joey, he appeared to us at the bottom of the steps. Dad and I laughed.

———

I half heartedly smiled at the memory as we set up camp for the night. Sawyer offered us DHARMA issued nutri-bars, but neither of us wanted any.

I had a feeling that all of us slept pretty lightly.

When we were back on the ‘road,’ so to speak, I was pretty sure that we had crossed the Line. We walked by a river now. Sawyer spoke. “So, these Others, you think they're left over from the DHARMA folk?”

“Left over?” I questioned, turning towards him. Micheal led the group with Jack right behind him, then Hurley, me, Sawyer, and Kate.

“You know, some left and some stayed or something like that.”

“I don’t know, man,” Micheal stated.

“My theory? they're aliens. That's why they use the fake beards—their heads are made of pathetic.”

“Okay, now that’s just absurd,” I commented, adjusting the hold my hand had on the strap of my rifle.

“ _Prosthetic,_ dude,” Hurley corrected him.

“You can't even spell and now you're correcting me?” Sawyer felt like being a jerk again. “What do you think, Freckles?”

The two of them fell behind me, speaking in low voices. That probably meant that Kate spotted something. My grip on the strap became tighter.

The sound of gunfire reached my ears. Looking back, I saw Sawyer and Kate shoot at people across the river. I drew my weapon and began firing.

Sawyer shot one down.

“He’s getting away!” Kate yelled.

The other man ran for the hills. I tried to shoot him, but the trees were in my way. Jack was the first to rush towards the one Sawyer shot.

“He’s dead,” Kate noted. “We have to find the other one.”

“No!” Jack denied. I turned to him, confused.

“ _I’m_ going,” she told him before glancing at the con man. “Sawyer?”

“I said no!” The doctor shouted.

Sawyer approached him. “Are you crazy?! We let him go, they’ll know we’re coming. He’ll-“

“It doesn’t matter if we catch him now!” Jack argued. We all stared at him like he was crazy. “They've already been warned.”

“What do you mean, _warned_?” The con man asked, getting a bit angrier.

The doctor turned towards Micheal. “Why don’t you tell them, Micheal?”

My eyes widened. Oh, shit.

“Tell them what?” The construction worker played dumb.

Jack pushed the man against a tree. “I know what you’re doing, Micheal!” He yelled at him through gritted teeth. He gestured towards us. “Now tell them the truth! Tell them!”

“It was the only way,” Micheal conceded. His voice was a little shaky. “They gave me a list.”

“What list?” I asked him, shifting my weight from one foot to the other.

“It had your names on it. I had to bring all five of you back, or they said I'd never see my son again!”

Well, that explains it then. Thank you, whom ever spoke to my mind, I guess.

“Who are They?” Jack demanded.

“It's like I said,” Micheal stated. “They live in a camp with huts. I swear, that's it.”

“You let Henry go?” Kate guessed, slight anger showed in her voice. Micheal nodded.

After a few seconds, Hurley questioned, “Did you kill them?” The black man just stared at him. “Ana Lucia and Libby, did you?”

“I had to, man,” he tried to defend himself. “I, God, I couldn't find any other way. And Libby was a mistake. I-I didn't have time to think.”

“But if you did have time—you still would have killed her, right?” Anger showed in Hurley’s eyes.

Micheal almost looked upset. “I'm sorry. You understand—I am sorry. I'm sorry. I—my son!”

Hurley began to turn around and walked. “I’m going back.”

Jack grabbed his arm, telling him, “No, Hurley. Hurley, you can't!”

“We're all going to get killed and you knew it!” The big man accused. “You let us come anyway.”

“It's too late to go back now, Hurley. We already caught them following us once. If they don't believe that we trust Michael, they'll kill us all! I'm sorry that I didn't say anything. But you have to know that I would never bring you out here if I didn't have a plan.”

“What plan?” Sawyer asked as if he was offended that he wasn’t included. Jack told us everything.

A few minutes later, we spotted a large pile of, well, _something._ Upon closer inspection, we found that they were notebooks, filled page to page and rolled into these canisters. There was a giant pile of them. And a chute seemed to spit them out.

Oh. These must be part of what Eko told me the other day.

Sawyer and I spotted smoke. The blonde asked, “Hey, Doc, what did you say Sayid's signal's going to be when the coast is clear to hit that beach party?”

“That means he found them, right?” Kate questioned.

“That’s miles from here,” Jack told us. He turned to Micheal. “Where were you taking us?”

“What?” Asked Micheal.

“Sayid said that he'd light the signal so that we could meet him at the shore. Why aren't we going to the beach?”

“We _are_ headed to the beech.”

“We're nowhere _near_ the beach!”

Great. Now they’re arguing.

“Look, I had to,” Micheal told us.

I have a bad feeling about this.

“What?!”

We all heard whispers. It freaked me out. Then, Sawyer got hit with a dart and fell to the ground unconscious. I was hit next.

I knew I was conscious because I could feel someone pushing me. It felt like there was a bag over my head. Something that tasted like cloth was in my mouth. They gagged us too, huh? After we walked for a little bit, they made us kneel. 

Next, they pulled the hoods off. I saw that we were at the end of a peer. A group of people stood before us.

“Son of a bitch!” Sawyer said through the gag. He was immediately kneed in the stomach.

The bearded man stated, “Everybody just calm down.”

Kate spoke through the gag next. “I’s fake. I know tha’ you’re bear’ ‘s fake.”

“Sorry, missy,” he told her. “I didn’t get you.”

The black woman standing beside him glanced his way, telling him, “She says she's knows your beard's fake, Tom.”

‘Tom’ removed the beard. He almost looked strange without it on. “Well, thanks for pointing that out, Kate. I can’t tell you how much this itches.” He turned towards the black woman. “And thanks for telling them my name, _Bea_.” She looked as if she was about to roll her eyes, but refrained.

I glanced around more to find Micheal not tied, and not gagged.

The sound of a boat with a motor reached the doc. ‘Henry Gale’ stepped out as if he was the man in charge. “Hello again,” he greeted us. He then turned to ‘Tom.’ “Where’s your beard?”

“I think they know,” the once bearded man explained. I maybe would have smiled if I didn’t have this rag.

Gale turned towards Micheal. “Alright. Let’s take care of business, shall we?”

All of a sudden, the ground began to shake, followed by a bright light and a piercing sound, almost like ringing, but way more high pitched than I’ve ever experienced. We all had to shut our eyes due to the brightness, but us crashies being tied, we couldn’t cover our ears.

A few minutes later, it stopped. I breathed out a sigh of relief. But whatever that was, it couldn’t have been good.

Gale then resumed his talk with Micheal. He told him to follow the compass bearing of 325. Apparently, there was no getting back to the island once they went far enough away to get help.

It was the words that were spoken after, that got my attention.

“My friends,” Micheal stated. “I was promised you wouldn’t hurt them.”

“A deal’s a deal,” Gale told him.

“Who are you people?”

“We’re the good guys, Micheal.” Somehow I didn’t believe that. But if it _was_ true, then who would be the bad guys? DHARMA?

“What? What, am I stupid? Where's my son?!”

“Walt’s inside.” Micheal rushed inside the boat.

Soon after, we all watched Micheal and the kid float away. Walt and I made eye contact.

Once the boat was far enough away, ‘Bea’ removed Hurley’s gag as someone else helped him up. “Hugo, you can go back to your camp.” My eyes widened.

“What?” It seemed Hurley was as shocked as the rest of us.

“Go back,” she repeated. “Your job is to tell the rest of your people they can never come here.”

Hurley looked back at us. “But what about my friends?”

“Your friends are coming home with us,” Gale told him. Shit.

“Go,” Bea urged. Hurley looked back at us one last time before walking back. The then put the hoods back onto us and forced us off the pier to some unknown place. 

The black woman removed my hood. I saw nothing but canvas tents. Jack, Sawyer, and Kate weren’t with me. She then removed the rag from my mouth.

“Untie her,” said the woman. Someone grabbed me and untied my rope. I nearly stumbled forward.

“What do you want?” I asked her, malice and fear showed in my eyes.

“Oh, sweetie, we aren’t gonna hurt you.” She smiled. “You’re home.” 

“What?” My face contorted into confusion.

She continued to stare at me with that smile. “You have your father’s eyes.”

I tried not to let her see my emotions, but my eyes tend to be quite expressive.

“Your father was one of us, you know. But when he left to study in the outside world, he never came back. And now, his daughter has come home to us.”

It almost made sense, but something about this whole encounter seemed off. “I refuse to believe that.”

“Sweetie, it’s the truth whether you like it or not.”

“Where are my friends?” I demanded.

“You’ll see them soon. But for now, I’d like for you to meet Alex. She’s about your age.”

A girl with slightly curly black hair walked up to me. “Hi. I’m Alex.”

“Rachel,” I told her. We shook hands. I couldn’t help but notice how she almost looked like Rousseau.


	31. The Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex and Rachel kind of hang out. We get a look into Sam Carraway. Ben and Rachel talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayyywe made it to season three folks!

I didn’t know whether or not I should tell Alex about Rousseau, so I asked if her mom was here with her. She adopted an almost sad look on her face. “No,” she told me. “She’s dead.”

Okay, so, maybe I won’t tell her???? I mean, we were currently being watched by a few other people, so I guess that wasn’t the right move.

“Oh, sorry,” I said.

“It’s okay,” she said, almost awkwardly. “What about _your_ parents? Were they in the crash with you?”

“I wish,” I muttered, averting my gaze for a moment. I’ve spent sixty eight days here on this island. Yet only now I learn about my father. Even then, could I really call it that? I mean, what if they’re lying? 

“What do you mean?” 

Oh, right, back to the conversation.

“They were murdered,” I said, still not looking at her. “My father, my mother, and my brother. I found them laying dead in our kitchen. Almost the entire house was wrecked.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s fine.” Little emotion could be heard in my voice.

A few minutes later, the black woman walked up to me again. She held a notebook with her. “My apologies, I neglected to introduce myself to you. I’m Miss Klugh.” She held out the book. “This was Sam’s. No one ever looked through it, and no one knew what happened to him. But, it seems that he’s dead. So, I thought you should have it.” I took the book from her and flipped through a few pages. The notes were all handwritten, almost like his journal or something. Judging by the dates, he was a teenager when he first started writing in it. 

(He was born in 1964, see? I was born in 1989.)

On the fifteenth page, the date told me he was nineteen. it read: “ _Today, Ethan and I wandered through the forest in hopes of finding The Others, as he liked to call it. He doesn’t like to call them The Hostiles. Ethan seems practically infatuated with these people. I just—don’t seem to get why. He’s a cute kid though. I only went along with him to ensure his safety. Well, that, and I too was curious. Not to mention, Benjamin ran off. He told me the other day about how he saw his mother. Which wouldn't have been possible because she’s dead. Anyway, Mom and I have been working in the Pearl for a little while now. That’s getting sooo boring. Yet, she encouraged me to take a notebook for myself.”_

The next page read, _“Oops, I guess I haven’t been writing in this for a few days. Anyway, people brought this Iraqi guy in. I think his name is Sayid. He kept saying that he wasn’t one of the Hostiles, but the adults don’t believe him._

_“Update, when he escaped, he shot Linus! Jin brought him back while Juliet operated on him, and Kate gave him blood. It almost seemed like this Sayid guy was actually trying to kill Ben.”_

I flipped a few pages. The one I stopped on, read: “ _Today, Ethan and I met this guy named Charles Widmore. He seems like a leader-type person. The man welcomed Ethan into his group. I didn’t exactly like these people, I mean, they’re called Hostiles for a reason. But with Ben and I, they told him that we were only half members.”_

I flipped to another page. Judging by the date, he was twenty or so. This entry read: “ _The Purge happened today. I don’t think I can take it anymore. And Ethan’s been fully indoctrinated into the Hostiles. He’s eager to live up to Widmore’s expectations. The Dude even changed his last name to Rom. Even though I secretly hated it, I also helped with the Purge. And I hate myself. I mean, my own people were just gassed today!”_

I immediately flipped a page. 

_“Today, I changed my last name to Carraway. It’s not like I have official documentation of my actual name. Besides, I love The Great Gatsby. It’s one of my favorite books.”_

I flipped a few more pages. _“Today, Widmore is sending me out to the real world in the hopes that I can study-up and come back to help them. I’ll definitely be leaving. That’s for sure.”_

There were no more entries after that. I had to sit down. Shit. Okay, what does this mean? Did dad intentionally not come back to this island? Is that how-how DHARMA found him again?? Did he willingly work for them as an off-island assistant or advisor or something??? I mean, now that I think about the man I saw two years ago exiting my father’s study, his patch was a DHARMA patch.

DAMN IT ALL!!

I guess they _are_ telling the truth.

“Are you okay?” Alex asked me. I glanced to my left to see her sitting here with me.

“Uh, I will be,” I tell her. In my peripheral vision, I could have sworn that I saw Kate. Glancing up, I saw that she had a dress on. Dude, they must have taken away her clothes or something, because Kate’s the kind of woman who doesn’t particularly like dresses.

I ran up to her, but the Other’s blocked me. “Hey, what’s this big idea, here?” I asked loudly so that Kate might hear me. She turned towards me and froze.

“She and the boss are just having a private conversation,” the once bearded man told me. Seriously? Glancing around, I saw no one but Kate and a few other guards.

Kate mouthed, “You okay?” I nodded slightly.

Someone grabbed my hand. Turning around, I saw that it was Alex. “You really shouldn’t do that,” she told me. I sighed. She led me back to where we were.

“So, where was the plane coming from, anyway?” Alex asked me.

“Sydney, Australia,” I told her. I then hesitated before adding, “I was only on that plane so that I could go live with my only remaining family in the United States.”

“Well, that plan’s shot now.”

“Yeah, I guess it is.”

Alex led me to this large building complex where a tarp covered a path leading somewhere. She then led me inside. I saw a kitchen. Some blonde lady was making food. There was also another room that I could see down the hall, but the door leading into it was closed. Alex led me down a long corridor and opened a room. There were two beds. The room was white, the desk was brown, the chair was black, and the bedsheets and pillows were grey. Other than that, no personalization whatsoever.

“I guess I have a roommate now,” Alex smiled. I gave her a small smile back. Noticing this, she took my hand. We sat down on the bed. “Hey. It’ll be fine in the end.”

I looked out the window, but all I could see were trees. Placing my father’s notebook on the nightstand of the other bed, I asked, “What is this place?”

“DHARMA called it The Hydra,” Alex told me, moving to stare out the window with me. “We call it Hydra island.”

My brows creased. “Wait, you mean, the _entire_ island?”

She almost chuckled. Her lips turned slightly upward. “No, I mean _Hydra_ island. The _large_ one, the one that you crashed on, well, at least, _I_ don’t know what this island’s name is.”

“I call it Lian Yu,” I told her as I sat down on the bed.

“What?” Alex asked as she turned to look at me. 

“It means Purgatory in Mandarin.” I plopped the rest of my body onto the bed. The mattress wasn’t hard, but it wasn’t exactly soft either.

“You know Mandarin?” 

I smiled, turning to my side to face her. “No, but I only know what Lian Yu is because of one of my brother’s stupid comic books.”

She nodded. “Oh, okay. Well, do you know any _other_ languages?”

“I know Korean.”

Her eyes lit up. “Really? Say something in Korean.”

 _“Something in Korean. What did you expect me to say?”_ By the way she looked at me, I could tell that she couldn’t understand a word I just said. 

“Well, I guess you _can_ speak Korean. Then again, I’ve never really heard Korean.”

When it was time for dinner, Alex had me come with her to the kitchen table. There, ‘Henry’ was already sitting down. Plates of actual food were set for three people. Alex sat down first, putting her napkin on her lap.

“Ah, good, you’re here,” said ‘Henry’ as he stood. “Please. Allow me to properly introduce myself.” He held out his hand. “I am Benjamin Linus.”

“Rachel Elizabeth Dare.” That was the first name that came to mind. Don’t know why though.

He nearly chuckled as he sat down without a handshake. “I suppose that’s fair, Carraway.” I frowned, remembering how his whole fake name came crashing down on him. Then, about my first conversation with the man.

Shit! Is that how they knew? I asked him if he knew my dad, but he didn’t give a straight answer. But I wonder… he probably told his people about me, and that’s how they knew. Or, they might have already known and are playing us all for fools.

Before the two of them picked up their forks, Ben asked, “Aren’t you going to sit?”

“Not until I know my friends are okay.” 

“Ah, yes, of course.” He took a bite of his steak. “They’re fine for the moment.”

I nearly glared at him. “What kind of answer is that?”

“The truth.”

“Thanks, I hate it,” I told them as I finally took my seat. Steak, green beans and roasted potatoes. There’s definitely not a chance I can get this on the main island. Unless of course I snag one of the already DHARMA prepared meals from the pantry in The Swan. It’d be best if I ate something too. I haven’t eaten otherwise practically all day.

“What don’t you like?” He asked me after taking a sip of his iced water.

“The ‘for the moment’ part, which implies that things are only going to get harder.”

His lips became thin and slightly upturned as he nodded while shrugging a little. “For them, yes.”

I frowned again. “I want to see them.”

“That won’t be possible.”

I stood. “Then _make_ it possible.” 

“I knew Sam well, you know.” He popped one of the potatoes in his mouth and neglected to speak while he chewed and swallowed. “He wasn’t as in tune with the same ideas that Ethan and were. He could also be quite stubborn.” He nodded slightly. “So I guess his ideals live on in you.”

“So what?” The hell is he playing at?

“Eat. Both of you, or the food will get cold.” I glanced over at Alex to find that she was staring at me. She had barely eaten. I then looked back at Ben. “Eat, then maybe we can talk about seeing them.”

Somehow I knew that wouldn’t happen, but I sat down and ate anyway. A meal’s a meal. I just hoped that Kate, Jack and Sawyer were okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, when Locke destroyed that computer in order to try and prove a point about The Swan, that seemed sooo pig headed to me.


	32. Day Sixty Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel does some thinking. She meets Juliet and finds Jack. Alex shows her how far they are from  
> The main island.

I stared back at my father’s notebook and stared at a certain page. My eyes scanned it over and over again. It just bugs the heck out of me.

“ _Oops, I guess I haven’t been writing in this for a few days. Anyway, people brought this Iraqi guy in. I think his name is Sayid. He kept saying that he wasn’t one of the Hostiles, but the adults don’t believe him._

_“Update, when he escaped, he shot Linus! Jin brought him back while Juliet operated on him, and Kate gave him blood. It almost seemed like this Sayid guy was actually trying to kill Ben.”_

I mentally chided myself. I’d grown so used to hearing those names, I guess I just brushed it off at first. And who the heck is this Juliet person? Maybe she’s an Other?? 

Then again, Kate is a fairly common name. Jin and Sayid, however? I’m not sure how common those names are in their respective cultures.

What if... this entire notebook is fake. Wouldn’t be impossible. If that’s the case, they have my dad’s handwriting down pretty well. 

“Morning,” Alex yawned. I glanced over to see her stretching out of her covers. Her disheveled hair went in many different directions. She then noticed how my light was on even though it was morning. “What are you doing?”

“The notebook Ms. Klugh gave me seems off. I think it’s fake.”

She got up and walked towards me. “In what way?”

“Well for starters, it mentions friends of mine. And unless time travel is possible, I doubt this is real.”

“And what if it was?” She smiled, signifying kidding.

“Oh, shush you.” It’s day sixty nine or so, I think. Definitely not September. “What, uh, what month is it?”

“We’re in the first week of December.” Her smile soon faded. “By the way, I spoke with one of your friends the other day.”

I stood, dropping the notebook onto my bed with widened eyes. “How are they?”

“She seemed fine. They have her working on the runway for planes.” 

“In a dress?” I questioned, skeptical.

“Unfortunately.” She frowned. You should take a shower. I sniffed myself and felt disgusted.

Even though the showers were public showers, the water didn’t smell like sulfur, like it did in The Swan. I wonder how they’re doing over there. I wish I could see them. I wish to see Kate, Jack, and Sawyer too. Yet I didn’t think that would be happening.

While walking through the hallway, I saw the blonde lady in the kitchen again. As I was about to walk past her, she called out, “Wait!”

I stopped and turned around to find her standing in front of me.“You must be Rachel,” she said.

“Yep,” I replied. “And you are?”

“Juliet.” Oh. Ohhhh.

“Uh, hi. Was there something you needed?”

“Could you help me in the kitchen for a moment?” 

Really? That’s what she wanted from me? Okay…

I walked into the kitchen to find things near the stove. The oven was on, and a timer on the microwave was down to five minutes. A pot had spaghetti in it while a smaller pot held red sauce. “Can you saute the peppers for me? I still need to finish chopping the onions, and well-” she gestured to the air as if saying that I knew what she meant (Which was probably about how onions can make people cry, which in turn makes things go by slower). 

“Uh, yeah, sure.” Why is she having me do this? Actually, why did I even agree to this? I walked up to the stove to find that the pan had yet to be hot. “What temperature do you want it?”

“Let’s go with medium high.” I turned the stove’s nob to Medium High and poured some olive oil in it. After a minute, I went to the sink to get my hand wet. Walking back to the stove I flicked my hand, making water droplets fly onto the pan. They sizzled, meaning the peppers were ready to be added. I poured them in using the spatula and moved them around.

Three minutes later, the microwave beeped. “Could you take the garlic bread out of the oven please? The mits are two drawers to your left.” Stepping back two steps, I spotted the drawer and opened it. The oven mits were red.

Once I opened the oven door, I felt hot air move against my face. There were only four slices of the bread. I grabbed the baking sheet. When I moved to pull it out, however, I felt a sharp pain near my elbow. I hissed. Letting go of the tray, I looked to where I felt the pain. Oops. I must not have had the oven door low enough because I burned my arm a bit.

“You okay?” Juliet asked, bringing the cutting board topped with diced onions near the stove.

“Yeah, I just burned myself a bit. It’s fine.” I went back for the garlic bread and placed the hot baking sheet on the cool parts of the stove. 

“Juliet, have you seen-” Alex asked as she walked into the kitchen. We saw her standing in the doorway. “Oh, there you are.”

“Your timing couldn’t be more perfect,” the blonde woman told her. “Can you get the first aid kit out, please? Rachel burned herself.”

“Uh, yeah, sure.” She then went into the hallway.

“There’s ice in the freezer if you want to ice that,” the woman told me. The fridge was one of those small ones with the freezer on top. When I opened the freezer, a blast of cold air welcomed me. I grabbed one of the ice trays and took a cube out. Next, I placed it on my burn. I placed my hand on my chin to get to it though as the burn was on the lower part of my right forearm.

Alex came back with some ointment and a small piece of bandages. “Where is it?” I showed her and she applied the solid liquid. It felt cold on my skin. Then she wrapped the bandage around me. There was only enough in her possession to wrap it around once.

“I’m sorry about that, Rachel,” Juliet apologized.

“It’s fine,” I told her.

“Oh, could one of you chop the cilantro?”

“I can do that,” Alex said, taking a medium sized knife and thinly chopping the cilantro. Juliet then told her that she could leave.

Once the plate had been fully prepped, Juliet put it on a tray and held it out for me to take.

“So, what is this about?” I asked as I took it.

She said, “Jack hasn’t been eating anything that we gave him for the two days you’ve all been here. Nor has he really had anything to drink. I figured that you could help convince him. I made enough for two people. So, if he refuses, you and I can have some lunch.”

I peered at her skeptically. “Where is he?”

She took me down this old-looking staircase of The Hydra. Then she led me down a hallway which led to what looked like a tank for fish in an aquarium. Juliet touched a button and said, “Put your back against the wall.” We saw him sit against the wall to our right. She then told me to go through the set of doors on our left.

Once through, I saw Jack look up in shock. “Juliet thought that you might eat if I was the one who brought the food,” I told him, placing it on the strange table. He stood up and rushed towards me.

“Are you okay?” he asked like a worried dad, looking over my bandage. “Did they hurt you?” He took my arm.

“Jack, I burned it while helping cook the spaghetti,” I told him, taking my arm from his grasp.

“Are you okay otherwise? Have you seen Kate or Sawyer?”

“Only Kate, but in passing. She seemed okay, but I don’t know where they’re keeping her.”

He huffed. “Okay.” He then glanced at the pasta. He then glanced at Juliet through the glass. “I’m not eating until I know everyone’s okay. Including Sawyer.”

“Jack, you haven’t eaten in two days. Nevermind your water intake,” I tried.

He pointed to the blonde. “Did she put you up to this?”

“No-” I denied, even though I knew it wasn’t true. 

“Did she put you up to this?!” He repeated, louder and angrier.

“No!”

He averted his gaze to the floor, almost huffing a laugh. “You don’t have to lie to me, Rachel.”

“If it’ll get you to take care of yourself, I will.” I stepped closer to him, shoving the plate of food into his hands. “You need to eat at some point.” My eyes pleaded with him to take the food.

He sighed and gave in. “Alright. I’ll eat this.”

I smiled slightly. Then I glanced at Juliet before heading out the door.

After lunch, I set out to find Ms. Klugh. Once I did, I asked her, “Where did you find that notebook?”

“It was lying around in his old place in one of the camps,” she told me. “I took it for safekeeping. When we brought you here, I figured you should have something to hold on to.

My eyes squinted. “How many other camps do you have?”

“Enough.” She then walked away from me.

Okay then.

When I went back to the room, I found Alex there. “You said that we were on a smaller island, close to _the_ island?” I asked her. She was currently reading something on the desk.

“Uh, yeah,” she told me, leaning back in her chair to face me.

“Can we see it from _this_ island?”

She stood. “Sure. Come on.”

We hiked to a high point in the rocky hills and there it was. The island that I have been living on for sixty seven days. Huh. The mountains looked taller from a distance.

“Ben says it’s about a mile distance swim,” she told me.

Damnit, that’s too damn long to swim if someone was already tired, or injured. Heck, these people have a boat, they could easily catch up to someone and pull them out of the water.

Damn it!


	33. Visits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel gets visits from people beyond the grave. Then she has an audience with Linus.

I found myself back on the ledge, staring at the main island. I was sipping on a bubbly drink from the fridge. Out of my peripheral vision, I saw someone sit down next to me.

“That’s one hell of a view,” my father told me. I kept my gaze forward.

“Took you long enough to show up,” I told him, taking another sip.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

I turned to look at him. “Why’d you never tell me about this place?”

“That’s a question with a counter-intuitive answer,” he told me. 

“What do you mean?”

“If I did tell you, you’d want to come here, and even though I _didn't_ tell you, you’re here anyway.” He paused. “You ever think of just jumping in the water? Who do you think will get you first, the Others as you call them? Or the sharks?”

“Either, I suppose,” I said, glancing down at the water. “It’s all fifty-fifty.”

“Or is it seventy-thirty?” He asked me, pressing a finger to his temple before pointing to me.

“No idea,” I sighed.

He shrugged. “You could always test it out.” We stared out at the mountain. A soft humming of that French song Shannon sang all those days ago played out.

When I looked back at him, I found Shannon sitting there. “How long are you going to just sit here?” She asked me.

“As long as I want,” I told her, studying the different shades of blue in the mile-long stretch of the sea.

“I don’t blame you, it’s nice. But Jack, Kate, and Sawyer are still having a rougher time here than you are.”

I turned towards her with angered, wide eyes. “Don’t you think I know that?!”

She put her hands up in surrender for a small moment. “Hey, I’m just reminding you.” After her hands dropped, she pointed out. “And did you forget that these were the same people who took Walt?!”

“No!” Why did she feel the need to go there?

She stood. “So then what are you doing sitting around?!”

“I just-” I averted my gaze. “I need to think.”

“Who are you talking to?” If it were anyone else but Alex, I might have jumped out of fright. In place, not off the rock. I looked back to see that Shannon wasn’t there anymore.

“No one really,” I answered, standing up. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing, I just wanted to check on you.” She paused. “That and Ben wants to speak with you.”

I placed my hands on my hips. “The hell does he want?”

“I don’t know.”

Alex took me to a room in the main building on the first floor of the Hydra facility. It had nine monitors. One of which connected to a camera in Jack’s cell. Another looked on to Sawyer’s and Kat’s cages. Okay, now things seemed _very_ unfair. Some of the other cameras focused on the shaded walkways. Another focused on an operating room while a different one focused on a room much like the one Jack was in. One more was stationed at what looked like a generator yard. They all presumably had live feed and audio. Each monitor had two knobs, three switches, and a red light. I looked to my right to find a gun locker. It was smaller than the armory in The Swan.

Ben sat in the chair with ‘Tom’ standing to the side.

“You wanted to see me?” I asked, folding my arms.

Ben swiveled around in his chair. “Yes, Rachel. And after some careful consideration, I realize that you are a good motivator for them.” I squinted my eyes with suspicion. “When you told Jack to eat, he did, and when Kate saw you before coming to see me in that dress, she asked about and requested your safety. And when one of our people mentioned you to Sawyer, his eyes got all… dark, as if we were threatening one of his own. And so I wondered what was so special about you to them. So, truth or consequences?”

I nearly smirked. “I can’t rightly say,” I said as I studied what the monitors showed. “But we’ve been with each other for seventy-one days. That, and back at camp, I’m basically the community teenager.”

“And what would the three of them say if they found out your true heritage?” My eyes widened. He wouldn’t, would he? “I’d imagine that they’d be quite shocked. It'd be a shame if someone were to… tell them.”

“Don’t you dare.”

“Why not? It’d be quite the experiment.” Somehow, I could tell that he was enjoying this.

“I’m not telling you why,” I told him, decidedly studying the wall to our left. It held nothing but itself.

“Is it because you think they wouldn’t like you anymore?” He then retorted, “You have quite the outlook on society.”

“Well, a lot’s happened to me in society.”

“So I’ve heard.”

I faced him with a glare. My lips curled slightly downward. “What, do you have an entire file on me?” He handed me a package in a manila folder.

“It’s a shame what happened to Elena. It’s also a shame about Jeong. Too bad he had to move away.” Okay, now he was crossing a line. Even though I wanted to punch him, to hurt him, I knew that I couldn’t. ‘Tom’ was standing right there, and it was safe to assume that Alex was sort of seen as a surrogate daughter to Linus. Not only that but if I got angry, I might just be playing right into his hands.

Hesitantly, I opened the folder. The first thing I pulled out was the police report on my family’s murder. “Where’d you get this?”

“Come on, Rachel. You’re smart. You didn’t think that we were so out of touch with the outside world, did you?”

I gritted my teeth. “I want to see them.”

“Who?”

“Kate and Sawyer, I want to see them.”

“That’s fine.” He looked at ‘Tom.’ “Mr. Friendly, would you mind taking miss Carraway to the bear cages?”

“Not at all,” the once bearded man told him, standing up from the wall. “Come on, now.” I followed him out of the room.

We walked towards the cages under a shaded pathway. When we got there, I saw that Kate was wearing a blouse and long pants. Both she and Sawyer rushed to the edges of their cages. “Rachel?!” “Rachel are you okay?!” They both shouted. Mr. Friendly tipped an imaginary hat towards me as a form of goodbye before walking away.

“Relax, guys, I’m fine,” I told them. They still looked worried though. Shit, what do I say? “Are you guys okay?”

“Just peachy, red,” Sawyer told me. 

“Rachel, where have they been keeping you?” Kate asked, her hands curled over the horizontal metal bars.

“Nowhere special.”

She then noticed my bandage. “What happened to your arm?”

Carefully, I unwrapped it and showed my wound to them. “I burned it while cooking a meal for Jack.”

“You’ve seen Jack?” They both asked me. Then they berated me with questions again. “Where is he?” “Is he okay?” “And why are you cooking for him?” That last question was asked by Sawyer.

“If it makes you feel any better,” I paused. “He wouldn’t eat until he knew both of you were okay. Of course, I had to lie to him though, because I didn’t know how you were.”

Okay, am I really going to do this? “Also, something may or may not be said about me, and I wanted to tell you that-“

”Don’t worry, red we won’t believe it,” Sawyer cut me off.

”No, you _should_ believe it.” They both peered at me strangely.

The sound of an alarm blaring slammed into my eardrums. I stepped towards Sawyer and Kate while covering my ears as a bunch of guards escorted Juliet and a hooded Jack somewhere. Both Kate and Sawyer were yelling for him, trying to gain his attention. I knew that the doctor would barely be able to hear it though. The alarm was strategically put on for this purpose. Then, as quickly as they walked through here, the alarm stopped.

“I wonder what happened,” I said out loud.

“A woman was brought by on a stretcher, didn’t you hear?” Sawyer asked me as I faced them. “I reckon it was one of ours.”

“I sure hope so,” I muttered. “Otherwise, there might be a whole lot of other people on these islands besides Rousseau than we thought.” Oops. They don’t know we’re on a separate island, do they?

“I’m sorry, did you say _islands_?” the con man asked me.

“Yes.”

“Are we on a different one than-” I interrupted Kate’s question with another yes.

It was then that Mr. Friendly came to take me away. “Alright, girly,” he told me. “That’s enough now.”

I frowned, getting one last look at them before walking away. While walking back to the main building, I saw Shannon standing in there in the jungle, watching me. I knew that if we were going to get out of here, it had to be soon.

  
  



	34. Escape

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, this is now the longest chapter in this fic.

Alex gave me white smocks to put on for that lady’s funeral. Apparently her name was Colleen, and she was shot by a member of Oceanic 815. They moved the corpse out to sea from the shore . Then they set the raft ablaze. A lachrymose country-rock song played over the loudspeakers. The night sky brought a somber atmosphere.

One particular person—Pickett—I think is his name, was crying. Ben and Juliet spoke among themselves. Alex stood alone, as did Ms. Klugh and Mr. Friendly.

I walked over to Jack who was ordered to stay by the walkway. To guards stood behind him, so I moved him a little farther down the beach. I asked him, “How are you feeling?” I imagined that he was in some sort of shock, having lost another patient on these islands. Then again, I’m not sure if he had sympathy for the woman who was currently a corpse. She was, after all, an Other. 

He didn’t answer my question though. In fact he asked one of his own. “What is your relationship with these people?” His voice was low. So was mine.

“Jack-“

“I see you here, but not Kate and Sawyer.” I could tell he was only containing his composure because we were at a funeral.

“You wouldn’t like the answer.” I kept my gaze forward.

“And why not?”

“That depends, I suppose.” I glanced at him. “What do you want to hear?”

“What’s that even supposed to mean?” 

“You tell me.” He frowned even more than he already was. 

“Why are you telling me this?”

“So that we all have the facts when we hope to escape.”

“Why didn’t you tell me when you first saw me?”

“I couldn’t, I mean Juliet was standing right there.”

He sighed. 

“Do you know why they only wanted us?”

“I think I was brought here to perform surgery on Linus over there,” he gestured towards Ben with his head.

“Which makes Kate, Sawyer, and I leverage,” I muttered. Oh. They didn’t want me with them just because of Sam. Now what Ben said a few hours earlier is making more sense. Sort of, anyway.

Having not much else to say, we watched the burning rafter float away until it was nothing more than a speck.

The next day, Alex was already awake when I opened my eyes. She looked worried. Like, really worried, as if someone dear to her was missing or something.

“You okay?” I asked her, getting out of the sheets.

“I have something to tell you,” she told me. “And I need your help.”

“What is it?” I asked, walking over to her bed and sitting beside her.

She began tearing up. “There’s this boy, named Karl. He used to be a part of the group.”

“And I haven’t seen him around because?”

Her hands, which were placed on her lap, clenched into fists. “He was imprisoned. Ben had him put in one of those bear cages. Like the ones Sawyer and Kate are being held in now. But now he’s gone, and I’m scared that he’s dead.”

I hugged her and she cried into my shoulder. “Why was he imprisoned? Do you know?”

“No,” she sobbed.

“And you don’t know where he is now?”

She shook her head.

“You need my help in finding out, don’t you?” 

She nodded.

I smiled at the idea of causing trouble around here. We didn’t have any guns though. I shrugged. Nothing rocks can’t fix. 

“We can do this,” I told her. “Do you have any weapons we could use that aren't in the security room?”

“I made slingshots.” She got up and opened her nightstand drawer. I walked up to her to get a better look.

“Cool, so how are we going about this?” I asked her. “You know this place better than I do.”

She stood there in thought for a moment. “I know the person to go to.” 

“Great. Let’s go.”

She was about to head out the door when she turned to me. “We need to be sneaky about it. The quarry isn’t exactly a place we’re allowed in.”

I nodded. “Got it.”

On our way over to them, we pocketed a bunch of rocks to be used as ammo. Then, we hid behind the trees, watching them. 

An alarm announced a compound breach. Pickett ordered the others to immobilize Kate and Sawyer. He then spoke into a walkie talkie. Alex nodded towards me. The two of us walked into the quarry with our slingshots loaded. We shot at the guards, telling both captive adults to flee, but they didn’t move.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Pickett asked her at gunpoint.

“What, you gonna shoot me?” She asked as she aimed her sling shot at him. I aimed mine at those who moved to disarm us.

“You know you both aren’t supposed to be here. So let’s all calm down-“

“What did you do to him, Danny?!?!” Alex demanded. I could hear the emotion in her voice. “Where is he?!” He still didn’t answer. “I want to see Ben.”

Danny stalled, saying, “Sure, that sounds like a great idea. So why don't we just lower our little sling-“

“WHERE IS HE?! Tell me!”

A man came up behind her, but I shot him in the head with a rock. Pissed off, he shot me in the shin. I yelled out in pain. Someone else grabbed hold of me. I abruptly moved my head back to hit him in the face. He dropped me out of surprise. Grabbing a rock from my pocket, I turned around and shot it. The small stone hit him in the head.

Someone tackled me to the ground. As I tried to fight him off, I heard Alex yell, “Listen, whatever they say, don't believe them! They're gonna kill your boyfriend just like they killed mine!”

As I was taken up, I tried to fight them again, but something hit me in the head.

I woke up in mine and Alex’s bedroom on top of the sheets. Sitting up, I found that my injured shin had been bandaged up. I glanced at my right to find Alex sitting on the floor. Her hands held her temple as she held a beyond worried expression.

“Hey,” I muttered.

She glanced up and smiled, exhaling. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I-“

“It’s okay.” I moved my feet to the floor. “We did what we could.” I sighed, sitting down on the floor. “So, Alex, what now?” She peered at me. I leaned forward, hugging the my knees. “Got any idea where your boyfriend could be.”

“There’s one place I haven’t checked.”

I nodded. “Okay, so we go there. What’s our status on guards?”

“The man outside by the window has our slingshots,” she told me, nodding towards the window.

I glanced at the window and stood. Walking over to it, I saw a man. “Alright, I nodded, opening the window fully. “Let’s get the drop in him.”

She stood up with a shocked expression. Before she could ask what I was doing, I jumped out the window. I landed on the guy, which at least knocked him out. Then I grabbed our sling shots off of his person.

Alex peered down the window. “Come on!” I whisper-yelled. She climbed out and hopped down a lot more carefully than I did.

We took our slingshots and ran off. Soon, I heard gunshots. “You hear that?” I whispered.

“Yeah,” she nodded.

We ran towards the banging sounds to find Kate and Sawyer hiding from a gunman. We aimed our slingshots and fired, causing him to hit the ground.

“Come on, guys,” I ushered.

“This way,” Alex told them. We all ran through the jungle. She then lifted up a camouflaged top to a small pit dug in the ground. It completely blended in with the grasses in the area. “Come on, get inside.” We then hopped in.

The guards fell for it hook-line and sinker. The three of them ran off. After a minute or so of silence, Sawyer lifted the door.

“This a hobby of yours, Underdog?” Sawyer asked her as he hopped out. We followed. “Digging holes?”

“Yep. That and basket weaving,” Alex quipped. “Want one?”

“I already got one from Rachel.” With slightly creased brows, Ben’s surrogate daughter glanced at me. I responded with a shrug and a nod. “Happen to have a tunnel to the mainland?” The con man joked.

“No, but I've got a boat.”

I looked at her almost shocked. “And you were going to tell me  _ when _ ?”

She stared at me blankly for a small moment. “Didn’t come up.” Checking around us, she said, “We should keep moving. We can use the boat, but we need to hurry.”

Just as we were about to rush off, Sawyer stopped us with words. “Hold on a second, sister. You just happen to find us in the woods? You just happen to have a boat, and you're going to let us use it, huh?”

She sighed, making me remember why we originally broke out. “There’s something we need to do first.”

Sawyer feigned surprise. “Oh, gee.”

“My boyfriend is being held prisoner. If you help me rescue him, I promise you I'll get you back to the other island.”

“Your boyfriend—his name happen to be Karl?” 

Alex’s eyes widened. “Yeah.”

We quickly rushed to the only building Alex hasn’t checked yet. When we got there, we saw a guard reading some sort of magazine. Aldo—I think was his name—he was about to get a ride interruption.

Alex and I approached him with guns (that Sawyer and Kate had grabbed earlier) aimed at the adults.

“Open the door!” Alex demanded.

“Alex? Rachel?” Aldo asked as he stood straighter. “What the hell are you both doing here?”

“They must have gotten out of their cages,” I told him. “We caught them in the jungle, so open the damn doors.”

“Neither of you are supposed to be here. Alex, if your dad finds out, he’s going to kill me.” So Ben  _ is _ her father.

“My dad was the one who told us to bring them here to you.” She sounded almost as if her teeth were gritting. She aimed the rifle his way. “Look, maybe you should call him. I'm sure he's got nothing better to do.”

Aldo spoke into his walkie talkie, “Danny, I need Ben.”

“Why?” We heard Pickett’s voice on the other line.

“Listen, I’ve got Alex and Rachel here. They’ve got Austen and afore with them.”

As planned, Sawyer knocked Aldo to the ground. I then smashed the walkie talkie with my foot. The con man then aimed the rifle at him.

“Don't get mad at me just because you were dumb enough to fall for the old Wookiee prisoner gag.” I almost laughed. Sawyer made a Star Wars reference.

“Where’s Karl?” Alex questioned the Other.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Aldo told us.

“Shoot him in the knee,” Kate suggested.

He turned towards her. “What?”

She took the gun out of his grasp and muttered, “We don’t have time for this. I’ll do it.”

Aldo threw his hands above his head in surrender, saying, “Whoa! Whoa! Okay, alright! He's at the end of the hall, room twenty-three. Keys are in my back pocket.” Kate hit him with the butt of the rifle before grabbing his keys.

Making our way inside, it wasn’t until we found room twenty-three. Even before getting in, we heard loud distorted music. Inside the room, speakers blared. A boy—who I could only assume to be Karl—was strapped to the chair in the center.

Alex and Kate rushed to help him as Sawyer and I stared at the images on the screen. Plant a good seed and you will joyfully gather fruit; Everything changes; We are the causes of our own suffering; God loves you as he loved Jacob; Think about your life.

Jacob? Who the hell is Jacob?

“Help!” Kate yelled at us. We sprung to action. Together, we get Karl out of the chair.

“It’s okay,” Alex told the teen. “We’re here to help.”

Sawyer threw the boy over his shoulders as we rushed out of there. By now we really must have been constructed on time.

“Is he okay?” Alex asked as we slowed down a little.

“Look, we got your boyfriend back. Now, where's your damn boat?” Sawyer asked her.

“This way,” she told us, running off to our left. We followed.

Soon, we came upon a slim, but long boat. It’s mast and sail were neatly packed on it. 

“Nice ride,” Sawyer commented as he gave Karl to Kate. She placed him in the boat as he went to set everything up. I helped. Along the way, the con man made some comment about Alex being “the boss's”’ daughter. 

As we started to get the boat in the water, Karl began waking up. We thought he was mistaking Sawyer for Danny but then we turned around. Pickett stood right in front of us with a gun in his hands. From his eyes alone I could tell that he wanted to kill at least one of us.

“Danny!” Shouted a voice. We all turned to see Juliet standing there with a gun. She shot and killed Pickett. We stood there for a moment. Unsure of what to do. “Get out of here,” she told us.

Wait a minute, she’s letting us go?

“Not you, Alex,” she added. “You’re staying.”

“Why?!” Anger practically radiated from the teenager’s voice.

“We both know your father. The only way he'll let Karl live is if you're here when he wakes up. I'm sorry, Alex.”

Shit!

Defeated, Alex walked over to a now awake, but groggy Karl. They kissed and said their goodbyes. 

When we resumed putting the boat in the water, Juliet stopped us again. “Wait,” she told us, tossing Kate a walkie talkie. I was starting to get annoyed. But why would Kate need a walkie talkie?

“Jack?” Kate asked into the device. “Are you there?”

Oh. Ohhhhh.

“Yeah, I’m here, Kate,” Jack answered. “You okay?”

“Yeah I—we got a boat. They’re letting us go.”

“Who’s letting you go?”

“The blonde woman.”

“So you’re safe—you and Sawyer?”

“And Rachel.”

“Good. That’s good. Tell me.”

My brows creased. It almost seemed as if he was cut off, but even that didn’t seem right.

“Tell you?” Kate asked him.

“The first day on the beach -- the day of the crash -- the story that I told you. If you're safe, tell me.”

Kate began to tear up. “You were doing surgery on a girl… and you messed up. You made a mistake.” She was almost quivering. “You tore something on her back and all the nerves came loose. And you said you were so afraid.” She drew a shaky breath. “And you said the fear was so real. And you didn't know what to do, so you counted to five. And then you weren't afraid anymore. And then it was just gone. And you fixed her… You saved her.”

“I need you to make me a promise, Kate,” the doctor told her.

“Jack?”

“Promise me that you'll never come back here for me. Don't come back, Kate.”

“Jack, where are you?” He didn’t answer. In fact, he probably shut down his end of the line. “Jack! Jack, please, where are you?” She turns off the walkie-talkie and hands it to Sawyer. 

“The trades are coming,” Sawyer stated. “We’ve got to go.”

Together, the three of us pushed the boat into the water. The sail was fully up by the time we were a few feet from shore. I stared back at Juliet and Alex as Kate, Sawyer, and I paddled away.

  
  


I’ll come back for you, Alex.


	35. Going Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sawyer, Kate, Rachel, and Karl head back to the main island.

Karl was unconscious again as the boat floated back to the main island. Kate sat in the middle while I sat in front with Karl. Sawyer was singing himself something.

“Stop,” Kate commanded.

“What, you want a turn steering?” Sawyer asked her jokingly. Since he was at the back, he was the one who had rutter capability.

“We have to go back,” she told him.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Turn the boat around, Sawyer. I mean it.”

Oh, great. They’re arguing.

“Have you lost your mind? We just got away!”

I debated jumping into the water and swimming to shore, but something told me that I shouldn’t do that. Maybe it was the state Karl was in, or maybe it was just because it was mean.

“Because we can’t leave Jack behind!!” Kate shouted.

Okay, I agreed with that. He’s one of our own, one of the Oceanic 815. He sacrificed himself for us. But it just wasn’t practical. We needed numbers and weapons.

“Yes we can, Freckles,” Sawyer told her. “Because that's what he asked us to do. You think about it—if we go back there—what do you think Captain Bunny Killer's going to do if he catches us?”

“Kill you,” Karl finally joined into the conversation. But he was still out of it. I could tell by the way his eyes almost seemed to glaze over. “God loves you as he loves Jacob.”

Again. Who the hell is Jacob??

“Okay, thanks for your input,” Sawyer told him. “You got anything to add, Red?”

“All that needs to be said has already been said,” I told them. “But, I agree with Sawyer.” I earned an offended noise from the brunette. “Listen, I also agree with you too, Kate. But need the numbers and the weapons if we ever hope to accomplish it.”

As we came upon the shoreline, it got worse. Kate wanted to row all the way around to find our actual camp, which I agreed with, but the light wasn’t on our side. We didn’t know the exact orientation of Hydra island and _the_ island. It could take us longer than we hope to reach our camp if we go one way or another. This exact point was brought up by Sawyer.

Out voted, Kate sighed as we beached the raft. Sawyer picked the kid up, Kate made a fire while I went out in search of fruit.

When I got back, I offered Kate a mango, but she wasn’t hungry. I ate the one I had picked for her as I handed another to Karl.

“I’m not hungry,” he told me.

“Dude, how long were you in that room?” I asked him as I sat down. “Did they give you breaks or sustenance of any kind?”

“Not really.”

“So then eat this,” I placed the fruit in his hands. “You need to keep your strength.” He said nothing as he bit into the mango.

“That island we were on,” Kate brought up, walking up to the teen boy. I tossed a mango to Sawyer. He caught it and immediately began munching on it. “Is that where your people live?”

Karl shook his head, no. “Just where we work.”

“Work on what?”

“Projects.”

“Well ain’t that specific?” I muttered. Sawyer made a comment too, but I didn’t exactly catch what he said.

“So, you don’t actually live on this island,” Kate wanted to make sure.

“Nope,” Karl answered, staring up at the dark sky.

“Do you live _here_? On this island?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“And what did you do with the people that you took—the kids?”

“We have them a better life.”

“Better than yours.” Man, I wish I could have seen it, but I was only given resurrected access. Karl proceeded to go on about the stars. It sounded like something Elena and I would do if she was still here. 

Then again, maybe she was spared. I frowned. That was stupid.

When I woke up, the sun hadn’t quite arisen. Looking around, I found that the fire had died, and Elena was standing there, where the flames used to be.

We locked eyes before she gestured for me to follow her.

What the heck, let’s do this.

“What is it?” I asked her.

“Things are going to change,” she told me. “I can feel it.”

“How?” 

“I can’t quite say.”

As she walked away, I whisper-yelled, “Elena!” 

She stopped and peered at me. “You’re like Eko. You speak to me as if I am the person you are seeing.”

“You’re not, are you?” I guessed. She didn’t answer. “Then what? Why do you keep visiting me? As my dad, as Shannon?”

“I knew your dad well you know,” she told me before disappearing. She disappeared right in front of my eyes as if she wasn’t there anymore.

Well that was vague. And they dodged my damn question!

Hmmm. What did she have to do with Eko?

I went back to camp and watched the sunrise. Karl woke up, but he wandered off, sounding upset. I knew it was only a matter of time before peace and quiet was disrupted. 

When the adults awoke, they freaked out on not having both teenagers present. Kate asked me where Karl was.

“He’s around here somewhere sobbing,” I told her.

When they found him, Sawyer sighed and told Kate, “I got it.”

“No, let me talk to him,” she said.

“I got it,” the blonde insisted. “Boys only.”

As the con man consoled the kid, Kate sat next to me. “How ya feeling?”

“Okay, I guess,” I told her, keeping my gaze straight. Something told me that I shouldn’t tell her about the people I keep seeing. Well, I suppose it’s a _person_ now. 

“You guess?” She parroted.

“Just—don’t hate me with what I’m about to say.” My words took her aback, but she didn’t comment. “My dad, he was born here on this island. Supposedly, he grew up with DHARMA then assimilated into the Others.”

Kate shifted. “Wait a minute, are you sure? Then how would-“

Staring into her shocked gaze, I interrupted her. “They have the capability to leave the island, Kate. But, I guess my dad didn’t want to return.”

“Who told you this?” The question was stated in an angered tone. It was as if she thought that someone from the Others was actively trying to twist my mind.

“No one Kate, just a stupid notebook. It was like his diary. Heck, I can’t even tell if it’s fake or not.”

We heard footsteps behind us. Turning around, we saw that Karl wasn’t with him.

“Where’s Karl?” We asked him.

“I let him go,” he told us.

“You what?!” Kate yelled as she stood.

“I let him go,” he repeated.

“Hey could have led us back to where they live.”

Oh boy, here comes the arguments again.

“What, you think I cut him loose because I'm so damn sensitive? The kid's a target! Ben ain't never going to stop looking for him so as long-“

“All Ben wants is that kid as far from his daughter as possible.”

“Let's get back to camp.” He looked back at her annoyed face. “Well, are you coming, or not?”

With crossed arms, the brunette asked, “Should I walk beside you, or ten paces behind you? You've gotten so good at telling me what to do, I can't think for myself anymore.”

“Don't take it out on me because you feel guilty.”

“I don’t feel guilty.”

I sighed as I stood up and walked ahead of them, ignoring Sawyer’s comment.

When I found it, I was apprehensive about actually appearing. Besides, Kate and Sawyer aren’t with me. It’d be better for everyone at this camp if we arrived together. When I circled back, I saw Kate pull a dart out of Sawyer’s foot.

“Ow!!” Sawyer shouted. “I thought you said three.”

“Yeah, well, anticipation’s the worst part. I thought I would spare you.”

Sawyer glanced my way. “Well lookie here. The communal teenager has returned.”

“I found camp,” I told them. “But I figured it’d save everyone there a heart attack if we arrived together.”

“How thoughtful,” Sawyer commented as he stood up. Kate helped steady him.

As we walked into camp, everyone swarmed us with greetings. Yet I couldn’t help but notice how distanced Sawyer and Kate seemed. The only one who didn’t come up to greet us was Desmond.

I saw Kate immediately go speak with Sayid and Locke. Figuring that Eko was in The Swan, I headed over there. Once I did, however, I found a giant hole in the ground. Melted metal parts were strewn all over the place.

Oh, I realized. This must have been what caused the weird flash of light and that loud ringing. Well, loud’s a light way to put it, but yeah.

Wait a minute, if Eko wasn’t at the beach, and if the hatch had blown up, would Eko be in here? I hopped down into the wreck. Looking around, I only found metal, and pieces of old tech. No Eko.

I came out of the wreckage using the door hidden by the trees. When I came out, I found Sayid and Locke.

“Oh, hey guys,” I greeted them. They stopped. I noticed Sayid had a rifle.

“Hello Rachel,” Sayid greeted back. He quickly glanced at the busted door. “What are you doing here?”

“What happened to Eko?”

The two men glanced at each other before Locke told me, “He’s dead. He was killed by that smoke monster thing. Or so I think.”

“Oh. Interesting.” My eyes widened slightly. Is the weird smoke the same thing as the person who keeps appearing to people as a dead person they knew??? Not wanting to think about it, I asked, “So, where are you going?”

“We’re going after Kate,” Sayid stated.

My brows slightly creased. “Why?” 

“Because she went off on her own to find Rousseau.”

“Can I come?”

They glanced at each other again. Locke shrugged. “Sure, Rachel,” the bald man said. “Come on.”

It was night by the time we found Kate. The two men held torches in their hands. On the way, Locke asked me a bunch of questions about the Others. I knew I couldn’t lie with Sayid present, but I also didn’t want to tell them what I learned about my father just yet. I also told them that I was just leverage for Jack so that he could perform the surgery on Ben. 

When we caught up to Kate, we found her with her own torch. She was standing close to a net on the ground. 

“Kate, if you were looking for help to find Jack, why didn’t you ask us?” Sayid questioned.

“Two reasons,” she said. “You don’t know where to look and you’re not motivated.” She then glanced at me. “Well, two of you aren’t. And I don’t blame you. Why would you want to go to another trek across the island -- risk more lives -- just to get Jack back?”

“You’re wrong,” Locke told her.

“Oh, really?” she challenged. “Then why didn’t you come after-”

“Not about the motivation, just about knowing where to look,” he corrected. “We got a compass bearing, and I’m pretty sure if we follow it, it’ll lead us right to him.”

Mine and Kate’s brows creased. “How?” we asked.

Sayid answered with a dash of sarcasm. “Because of the way the sunlight hit Mr. Eko’s stick when John was burying him.” I blinked, trying to imagine what happened.

“So,” said Locke. “Now you know our secret. How about you tell us yours?”

Before Kate could answer, gunshots could be heard in the surrounding area. “Don’t shoot!” Kate shouted. “It’s alright! It’s safe! We’re just here to talk! You can come out!”

Rousseau stepped into our vision with caution. “What are you doing here?” she asked us.

“I came to ask for your help,” Kate stated.

She gave Kate a questioning look. “To do what?” 

“I’m heading to the Other’s camp, and if I’m going to find it, I need someone who knows the island.”

“What makes you think I have an interest in helping you?”

“Because they had me -- and Rachel.” She inclined her head my way, making the French woman look at me. “And they would have never let us go -- probably would have killed us if we hadn’t escaped.”

“We had help though,” I interjected. “By a girl about a year older than me. Sixteen. She had brown curly hair like you, and her name was Alex.” I glanced at Kate for a moment, checking to see if we were on the same wavelength. She nodded. “And we think that she’s your daughter.”

Rousseau stared at us with complete shock.


	36. The Flame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel, Rousseau, Kate, Sayid, and Locke find The Flame

Somehow, I remembered that the slingshot Alex gave me was still in my pockets. So technically, I wasn’t without a weapon like the adults thought. We trekked through the mountains soon after our discussion. And if I hadn’t lost count of the days on this island, it was day seventy nine. 

“We need to eat,” Sayid told the group as he set his bag down. He was in front with Kate and myself behind him. Behind me were Rousseau and Locke.

“Are we still on course?” Locke asked him. Kate, Rousseau and I set down our packs too.

“We’re still heading north on a bearing of 3 0 5. Yes.”

“I’m sensing a lack of confidence.”

Seriously? Is everyone just arguing nowadays? Jeez.

Sayid turned towards the bald man and glared at him. “We’ve been walking for two days, following a compass bearing provided by the carvings on a stick!”

“And?” Locke acted as if the very idea wasn’t crazy. Which, when you really look at it, it is.

“You really think we’re just going to chance upon where The Others are?”

“I don’t know what we’re going to chance upon, Sayid. But my bearing is the only bearing we got.”

“I’m going to find some fruit, and then, John, we’ll have a rational conversation regarding our next move.” Locke nodded as the Iraqi went off to find fruit. 

I sighed as I sat down. Then, I realized something. “Three, oh, five,” I muttered. I then peered at John. “What if Eko meant the Bible verse John 3:5?”

“What do you mean?” John Locke questioned, facing me.

I sat back on the grass. “It wouldn’t surprise me if Eko scribbled the numbers of a verse on his Jesus stick as well.” Also, John Locke —> New Testament John.

“And how would you know about the Bible?” 

“My aunt in America, she used to go to Church. She always carried the third book in the New Testament. I flipped through it once.” Come on, what did it say? “Jesus answered, 'Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.’ Of course, there is an alternate version which reads, ‘Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.’ Of course, neither say anything about going North.”

“Wait, she  _ used _ to go to Church?” John asked me. Seriously? Here I thought you would ask me if I knew the deeper meaning.

“She lost her faith. Someone on her husband’s side of the family bit the dust. She stopped believing because of how everything was handled. Lost her faith in humanity and eventually the man upstairs himself.”

Sayid came back to us, but I could tell there was something other than fruit on his mind.

“I found something I think you should see,” he tells us.

He took us to a house with a satellite on it. A horse stood in front with a saddle. A cat sat on a box. There were also loudspeakers. Wires coming from those speakers had been cut, however.

“You’re sure it’s completely isolated?” Locke questioned.

“I’ve circled the house,” Sayid told him. “Nothing but jungle surrounding it.” He handed the bald man his binoculars.

Locke looked through it while asking, “Does that dish still work?”

“A satellite dish of that size would have broadcasting capabilities for thousands of miles.” He glanced at the French woman. “Danielle, you once mentioned a radio tower. Is this it?”

“I have never been here before,” she stated.

“The man in the house, you said you’ve seen him before?” Kate inquired.

“On a video feed from The Pearl station.”

“So who is he?”

“I don’t think he’s DHARMA,” I voiced. 

The adults peered at me looking for an answer. “And why not?” Locke asked.

“Because, there was this thing that happened in ‘88 or so. The Purge. The Others, or as DHARMA called them, the Hostiles had invaded the DHARMA settlement with a poisonous gas of some sort. No DHARMA person survived unless they assimilated into The Others beforehand. Or at least, that’s what I think happened.” Based off of my dad’s ‘journal’ anyway.

“And how would you know of this?” Sayid asked. He had his hands on his hips.

“I found a journal once. Haven’t seen it for a few days though.”

“Well,” Sayid sighed. “There is only one way to truly find out who this man is.” We locked eyes for a small moment. “We ask him.” The Iraqi handed his gun to Kate.

“What’s this for?” Kate asked him.

“If I'm unarmed, he won't feel threatened. In case he is threatened, you cover me from here.”

All of a sudden, Rousseau begins to turn back. “Hey, where are you going?” Kate asked her.

Her footsteps halted. She turned towards her, saying, “I have no interest in that man inside the house. I have survived on the island precisely by avoiding these types of encounters. I'll wait for you by the stream, for those of you who survive.” She then walked out of sight.

Sayid nodded to himself before walking towards the house with his hands up. A shot fired and Sayid went down. He was hit in the arm. A man came out of the building. He had a rifle and an eyepatch.

Kate was about to intervene, when Locke put his arm in front of her. “He’s been hit,” Kate pointed out in a whisper.

“Not yet,” Locke argued. “Do you want to get shot too?” I stepped to his right. 

“I didn’t cross the line!” The man with the eyepatch shouted. “We had a truce! This is  _ my _ land! You said I could stay here!”

Well, he’s certainly put on a convincing act.

“I am not who you think I am!” Sayid yelled, still with his hands up in surrender. “My name is Sayid Jarrah! I was on a plane that crashed here months ago!”

“A plane?!” The man questioned. I couldn’t tell if he saw it crash or not.

“I’m unarmed, I swear!”

He then noticed us. “Stay right there!” Kate and Locke walked forward firing warning shots at the man.

“Drop the rifle!” Locke commanded. “Stop, right now.” He did. Locke walked forward. “Back up!” He gestured with his gun hand. “Back up!” With his free hand, John grabbed the man’s gun.

“You alright?” I asked Sayid as I helped him up. The Iraqi nodded.

“You really did crash here?” The man asked.

“Over forty of us, yes,” Sayid answered.

“I’ll go in first,” Locke decided. “Make sure it’s okay.”

“Who are you?” Asked Kate.

“Mikhail Bakunin,” he introduced himself. “And I am the last surviving member of the DHARMA initiative.”

Mikhail and Kate helped Sayid get inside. I kept my hand over the pocket that held my slingshot as I stepped in. The place was huge. The first thing I noticed were the couches, chairs, the coffee table, and the rug. Lamps were lit. There was a bookcase off to the side in front of the glass.

Adjoining doors led to a well stocked kitchen. Filled with DHARMA issued supplies. A freezer held a bunch of meat. Walking around further, I came across a bedroom. There was a typewriter on a desk. It was all in Russian, however. Frowning, I put the paper down. Next, I went back to the living space.

“So, when did you come to this island?” Sayid asked him. He sat on the couch as the Russian man tended to his wound.

“Eleven years now,” said Mikhail. “I like computers, communications equipment, being alone like a lighthouse keeper. So they put me in this station. They called it The Flame.”

“What kind of station is it?” I asked as I sat down in the chair to the right of Sayid.

“A communication station with the outside world, of course.”

“What happened to the DHARMA initiative?” Sayid questioned.

“They’re all dead, of course,” he sighed. “They foolishly initiated a war against The Hostiles, the Purge they called it.”

Sayid and I shared a glance. “How did you survive the Purge?”

“By not participating in it. I told you, I like to be alone.”

“And—these Hostiles—they just allowed you to stay here?” I asked, shifting my position in the chair.

“After it was over, four men appeared in the yard. They offered a truce. They said to imagine a line that extended all the way across the valley. As long as I did not cross it, I would be left alone. Then they took two cows and I never saw them again.”

Well thought out. Plausible, but something just seems off about him.

“They weren't interested in the satellite dish in the yard?” Kate asked as she walked in, sitting down in the chair opposite me.

He turned towards her and countered with, “Why would they be? It hasn’t functioned for years.”

“So who are they—these Hostiles?” Sayid questioned.

“I do not know. But they were here a long time before we were. A very long time.”

Sayid turned his head away slightly as the Russian pulled the bullet out. The Iraqi yelled out in pain. Mikhail then placed the bloody bullet on a plate. We grimaced at the sight of it.

A strange sound caught my ears’ attention. Looking towards the door, I found the cat scratching up the rug. Apparently, Mikhail noticed too. He spoke to the cat in Russian.

“What did you just say?” Sayid asked. His eyes were squinted as if he recognized something.

“I told Nadia to be polite because you are my guests,” he explained as he began to sew him up.

“Nadia?” Why would Sayid be caught up on a name?

“Mm hmm. After Nadia Comaneci, the greatest athlete the world has ever known.” He gestured to the large framed picture of the gymnast. “We have the same birthday.” He cut the thread. “Excellent work if I say so myself.”

“Thank you, Mikhail.” The two of them smiled slightly and nodded towards each other.

The man in DHARMA clothing stood and began walking away. “Perhaps I can begin to earn your forgiveness by offering you some iced tea. I will also check on your friend.”

As Kate bandaged Sayid’s arm, he noticed that Kate seemed distracted. “What’s wrong?” He asked her.

“It just doesn’t make any sense,” she said. “Why would they let him stay here with all this stuff, all this equipment?”

“Actually it makes perfect sense.” Sayid turned towards me and said, “You were right Rachel. The reason they let him stay here is because he is not DHARMA. He is one of them.” I smiled to myself slightly. 

“Wait,” said Kate as she tied the bandage to itself. “He shot you and you just let him—why are we still sitting here?”

“We are sitting here, Kate, because I am certain he is not alone.”

“Is that because of the horse with the saddle on it outside?” I questioned. The expression on his face showed that he was impressed. “I mean, I initially thought that he was getting ready to ride somewhere and we interrupted him. Like he went back inside to get something. But that doesn’t seem likely anymore.”

“No,” the dark haired man agreed. “It does not.”

Mikhail emerged with a tray of glasses filled with ice. A pitcher held the tea. “I grow tea myself,” he told us. “So pardon its bitterness.” I soon noticed that Locke wasn’t with him. Actually, I think I saw him go into a room with a computer in it. My leg started bouncing.

“Any tea is good tea,” Sayid said.

“You know how long it’s been since we’ve seen ice,” Kate commented.

The Russian poured some glasses. The Iraqi seemed to be contemplating asking something, then, “I noticed a series of thick wires as I walked around the station.”

“This is the hub,” Mikhail told us. “But they go around to various stations on the island.”

“And these cables,” the dark curly-haired man paused as he leaned forward. “Do any of them run into the ocean?” Like that cable near Rousseau’s old bunker… 

“Yes. There is an underwater beacon that emits sonar pings to help guide in the vessels.”

“By vessels, you mean submarines.”

“Yes. The Initiative used it to bring us to the island. But I can only imagine that the Hostiles have either destroyed it or commandeered it by now.”

I stood up, saying, “Excuse me. I think I’ll go see what Locke is doing.” They nodded towards me as I walked away. 

Coming into the small office room, I found Locke playing Chess on the computer. “Seriously?” I asked, crossing my arms. “You lose one computer to play with so you become enraptured with this one?”

“Say what you will, Rachel, but when’s the last time you played online Chess?” The bald man asked as he glanced at me.

“Your move,” said the computer.

He tapped on three keys.

“Never, actually,” I told him.

That’s when we heard glass shattering against the wall. Immediately, I walk back into the common space to find the three adults fighting. I take my slingshot and aim a rock at Mikhail’s head. It hits him right near the temple. He stumbles a little bit. This gave Kate just enough time to grab the rifle and aim it at the Russian. She then knocked him out.

Locke finally emerged from his new cave with his gun drawn.

Late to the party.

“Get some rope,” Sayid told us.

Soon, we had him tied up on the floor and explained what we had learned to Locke. “You think the Others sent someone out here to keep him company?”

“I think they sent someone out here because they lost communication,” Sayid told him.

“Maybe when the sky turned purple.”

“That would be my guess.”

“Well,” huffed the bald man as his eyes darted around. “If they sent somebody out here, they're hiding pretty good. I checked every nook and cranny of this place.”

With a cocky expression on his face, Sayid lifted the corner of the rug. A door was right there on the floor.

“Not every nook and cranny, John,” the Iraqi stated.


	37. The Ensuing Chaos

Sayid and Kate went downstairs while Locke and I stayed with Mikhail. Locke stood with the rifle in his hands while I sat on the couch with my slingshot.

I could tell that Locke really wanted to go back to the computer. I stayed silent as he eventually wandered back to the computer.

Since I’ve said though, I can’t get it out of my head. My aunt, and what happened. I was… ten. My mom, dad, and I had gone to LA to visit family. 

———

My aunt went into the backyard and announced, “I’m going to pick up the food, anyone want to come?”

“Can I come?” Both my cousin and I asked. We glanced at each other with smiles and giggled.

“Both of you can come, come on,” she gestured for us to get in the house. The car was parked in the curved driveway. This house doesn’t have a garage.

We ran in as my aunt’s brother stood and announced, “I can drive!” He was hanging out with a few of his friends, smoking, but my aunt allowed him to come anyway.

“Do you have the keys Mia?” My aunt’s brother asked him.

“Here,” she said as she tossed them to him. We all climbed into the car.

When he approached the stop sign, he waited more than three seconds. “It’s clear now, Mike,” Mia said.

“Oh, right.” We turned onto Sepulveda where the speed limit was faster than the other residential roads. (My aunt lived at the base of the hills in Encino, LA, see.)

Mike’s driving was relaxed, but unsteady. My cousin and I weren’t exactly paying attention to that thought. We liked looking at all the houses.

“Maybe I should drive,” my aunt told Mike.

He drove a little more on the road before pulling over and saying, “Yeah. Sure.”

I was looking at the houses on the other side of the street. As my uncle exited the car, he didn’t watch the oncoming traffic on our side of the street. My eyes widened as a car drove what looked faster than thirty miles per hour hit Mike. His body was shot forward as the driver of the car slammed on his breaks.

“Dear Jesus,” aunt Mia said as she scrambled to get out of the car to check on him.

———

A few minutes later, Locke still hadn’t emerged back out. I wasn’t going to go after him, there was still Mikhail to watch out for. 

When I noticed his arms move, I said, “I wouldn’t if I were you.”

“And what would you do if I did?” Mikhail asked me, still laying on the floor.

“Hit you in the head with a rock, that’s for sure.”

He smiled to himself. “Your eyes remind me of him.”

I sat straighter. “So I’ve been told.”

He glanced around then asked, “Is your friend still playing Chess?” 

“As if I’d tell you.”

“You just did.” He stood and rushed toward me. I got up from the couch, aiming a rock at him, but he broke free of the rope and took my slingshot.

“Locke!” I called, going to get his gun, but Mikhail knocked me out by the large bookcase.

When I awoke, I found Kate trying to wake me up. Turning to my left, I saw Sayid pointing his gun at Bea.

“Ms. Klugh?” I asked, standing up. “What are you doing here?”

“Well what are you doing here?” She countered.

“Rachel, where’re Locke and Mikhail?” asked Kate.

My eyes darted around the facility. “Outside would be my guess.”

Cautiously, the four of us stepped outside. We traveled out of the building to find the Russian holding a gun to Locke’s head. Sayid raised the gun on Klugh.

“This is simple,” said Mikhail. “Send her over to me and I release him, and we all go our separate ways.”

“Don't listen to him. If he was going to kill me, I'd be dead already,” Locke told us.

“Shut your mouth!” The Russian commanded moving the gun closer to his head.

“Listen to me-“ Sayid began to say but Locke spoke over him.

“Sayid, do not let her go.”

“I will execute you _right_ here!” The Russian threatened. The next sentences were all spoken rapidly and on top of each other.

“He’s not going to do it!” Locke shouted.

“Be quiet, John!” Sayid shouted.

“I’m the only thing keeping him alive!”

“I swear to you!” Mikhail threatened.

Then Ms. Klugh began speaking to Mikhail in Russian.

“Calm down everyone!” Sayid tried again. Kate and I glanced at each other with equally tired and worried expressions.

Klugh kept speaking to him. This time Mikhail responded.

“Sayid!” The bald man yelled.

“I’ll handle this, John!” The Iraqi told him. The two Others still spoke to each other.

“Don’t let her talk to him!” Locke shouted.

“Mikhail!” They still conversed. “Stop!”

“Just do it, Mikhail!” Ms. Klugh yelled. The Russian pushed Locke out of the way and shot Bea. She collapsed onto the ground.

I moved to aim a rock at the Russian, but Locke got in the way. As Mikhail attempted to kill himself with a gunshot to the head, Locke moved the gun away in time. The eye-patched man then headbutted Locke, at which point Sayid moved in on Mikhael and knocked him down with the butt of his rifle. After which, he drew it on him.

“Finish it!” The man shouted. “Kill me!” But Sayid doesn’t. In fact, he moved the barrel away from him.

I stayed outside with Sayid and Mikhail as Kate and Locke gathered useful things from the building. We walked towards Rousseau.

“Danielle!” I shouted. “Rousseau!”

The veteran held a gun to the Other as he said to Mikhail, “Tell me something. Were you ever a member of the DHARMA Initiative? Or was everything you said a lie?” He didn’t reply. “Of course, I'm wasting my breath.”

“I was never a member,” he explained. “But everything else I told you was true. I moved into this station after the Purge.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Believe what you want, but that is what happened.”

Rousseau walked up to us. “Your friends,” she said, noticing they weren’t with us. “Did he kill them?”

“No,” replied Sayid. “They are collecting whatever is useful from the farmhouse. And now we have our ticket to where the Others live, where we will find your daughter, and Jack, and finally, perhaps, a way home.”

“There is nothing you could do to me to make me lead you there,” Mikhail voiced.

“I didn't say you were our ticket, did I?” The Iraqi questioned as he sat down. He took his backpack off of his shoulders and took out a map. He pointed to the Flame. “This is a map showing electrical and data cabling running from the Flame, here.” His finger traced along a path. “To a place called the Barracks, here. It's comprised of houses and dormitories, with water and power large enough to accommodate an entire community. Sounds like a place well worth visiting, don't you think?”

“There will come a time when your guard is down,” he responded. “And when it is, I will not hesitate a moment before killing you. You should know this before you-“

“He _is_ making an excellent point,” said Rousseau, aiming her rifle at him. “You have a map. Why keep him alive?” Sayid just stared at the man. I could tell that his mind went somewhere else. “We should kill him, Sayid. He already told us he would kill us.”

“No,” the veteran decided. “He's my prisoner. I will decide his fate.”

Kate and Locke emerged from the tall greenery. Kate was still closing her bag while Locke had nothing. 

“I can see you didn't see anything worth taking,” Sayid commented.

“Actually I just played that silly chess game again,” Locke explained. I rolled my eyes. “And now,” he turned to Mikhail. “I can see why you didn't want me to beat it.”

“Meaning what?” 

Then… the station exploded. I sighed. Locke really can be pig headed at times.

“What have you done, John?!” Sayid angrily asked him. He gestured to what is now a pile of ash, wood, fire, and metal. “That place was our one hope of communication with the outside world!”

“The computer said that if there was an incursion of the station by the Hostiles, I should enter seventy seven,” he told us as if that would help his case. “So I entered seventy seven.”

“We should go,” Sayid decided. “If anyone _is_ around this explosion’s going to attract their attention.” We began walking but then Sayid stopped. “Wait. Not you, Rachel.”

“What?! Why not?” I asked him.

“Because this put you in danger and you don’t have the proper means to defend yourself.”

“I have a slingshot.”

“That is barely a weapon!” He shouted, walking up to me. He pointed to Mikhail. “Him knocking you out confirms it. You are going back to camp!”

My eyes pleaded with Kate. “I agree with Sayid,” she told me apologetically. “If you had a gun…” she shrugged. “Well, you’re an excellent shot.”

I sighed. “You know, Rachel-“ Locke tried but I interrupted him. I didn’t want to hear anything from his mouth at the moment.

“Yeah, whatever, John,” I huffed. I then adjusted my backpack straps and turned around, saying, “Have fun storming the castle! I’ll tell everyone not to worry.” 

It’s day eighty now, I think. And not that I would tell anyone this, but I don’t exactly know the way back to camp... 

As I trekked down the hill, I saw my father. I walked over to him. Then we started walking together. “So,” I voiced. “Who are you? Are you the smoke monster? Or are you a ghost? And answer me honestly, please.”

“Rachel, the smoke monster likes to keep his distance.” My eyes squinted. “This guy may look like someone you once knew, but he wouldn’t be as involved as I am. Or if you’ve seen Elena.

“He also likes to lead people to their deaths,” my dad continued. “This man believes in the inherent corruptibility of man. He and Jacob, in their conflict, draw people to the island to test their nature. Like-”

“Like The Most Dangerous Game,” I interjected. That book I read a while ago, and the one he had a copy of in New Zealand. And again, the heck is up with this Jacob guy? We walked in silence for a small while.

I debated if I even _should_ ask this, but then I wouldn’t get another chance to. “When I saw him last, he told me that he knew you well.”

“Yes. Um,” he studied the ground for a moment. “You saw in my journal that I had lived here and whatnot, but there’s a blank page somewhere in there. Let me tell you something. It’s not blank. That day, the only thing I had to write with was invisible ink.” We stopped walking and he turned towards me. “But anyway, if you ever get that journal back, it tells of how I stumbled upon something called The Heart of the Island.” he gestured to me. “It’s not a place you should go, understand?”

I nodded. Then my eyes widened. “Wait, that journal Klugh gave me wasn’t fake?”

He smiled and shook his head. “Nope.”

“Then why does it have Sayid’s, Jin’s and Kate’s and Juliet’s names in it?”

“I’ll tell you a secret, Rachel.” He leaned closer to me before whispering. “Time travel is real.” I didn’t think my eyes could get any wider. “Here’s another secret, Rach. I could see the dead too.” He stood straighter and then looked as if he had remembered something. “Oh, I almost forgot. I came to tell you that you’re close, and that you should watch out.”

“Wait, close to what? And watch out for who?” By the time I finished asking, he had disappeared.

I huffed and decided to keep walking. Once I did, I found these strange pillars.

Hearing footsteps I turned to see one of the patrols. 

“Well, hello,” said a man as he stepped forward. “Rachel, right?” He had a vest on and his hair looked white on the sides. His skin was tan. I couldn’t exactly tell what color his eyes were due to the light. A rifle was strapped over his shoulder.

I thought about running, but as soon as I turned around, another man grabbed me. “You’re coming with us, Princess.” 

Shit!

  
  



	38. Caught

The two men dragged me to the entrance of the barracks. I saw people stare at me. Once they put me in this specific building and room, I was greeted by a short haired blonde woman with dull blue eyes and pink lips. She wore this green-brown coat.

“Hello, Rachel. My name’s Isabel.” She then looked towards the man in the vest. “Thank you, Ryan, you can leave.”

He and his buddy left.

“Come on, sit,” she told me as she sat behind her desk. I looked at her skeptically, not budging from my spot. “I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to talk.” She brought her hands together on top of the desk.

Wordlessly, I sat down. 

“How has it been for you, here on this island?”

“Why would you ask that?” I questioned her as I leaned forward in my chair.

She brought her arms apart as if to shrug. “It’s an honest question.”

“I’ve been fine,” I told her. “If you’re trying to get me to assimilate...” I sat back in my chair, crossing my arms. “It won’t work.”

“How many other people did you travel up here with?” She asked as she laid her hands separate and flat on the desk.

“Just me,” I lied, shrugging. “Felt like taking a hike.”

“Long hike,” she commented.

“I enjoy a challenge.”

She then stood up and said, “Come on, let’s go for a walk.”

She got to the door and opened it, giving me a face that showed she expected me to go first. I sighed, saying, “Fine.”

We took a walk along the campus. We emerged from a building that almost looked like a one story house. Actually, each building looked the same. I immediately saw five of them including the one we stepped out of. 

As we walked, she pointed different things out to me. “We just walked out of the security building. Over there, are the welcome building and recreation room.” Those were the two buildings on our right. 

“And why aren’t we going in?” I asked her. 

“Most everyone is outside right now. Come, let me take you to the playground.”

There weren’t any streets, but there was a small walkway. A long space filled with open grass where people were playing and hanging out. There were different patches of greenery. The pathways were dotted with poles. Each one had a light post, a loudspeaker, and a camera. 

To our right, the pathway led us to a large circle of houses. I couldn’t exactly ignore the presence of white picket fences surrounding the houses. To our left, there was a playground. On the way to the playground was a gazebo. Walking up to it, I heard a woman shouting.

“Hey!” She and two kids ran up to us. She had short brown hair. One of the kids was a girl with long blonde hair. The other had short brown hair. He held a teddy bear. “You’re Rachel, right, you were on the plane?” God dammit! How does everyone know me??? “I was a stewardess on your flight.” 

After squinting my eyes a little, I finally remembered. “Oh, yeah! What are you doing here?” She sort of frowned, probably because of the way I phrased the question.

“We fell out of the plane with the tail section.” She briefly looked at the kids who held her hands. “These people saved us. It’s a better living than going off to catch fish and hunting boar all the time. We have running water and electricity too.” I didn’t look impressed with her selling point. “Look, Jack wouldn’t answer this question, but these two wanted to know how Ana Lucia was doing.”

It was my turn to frown. I leaned in close to her ear so that the children wouldn’t hear. “She’s dead,” I whisper. The flight attendant jerked her head away from me with a look of shock.

She glanced down at the blonde kid who tugged on her clothes. “What’d she say?” Asked the girl.

“Nothing helpful,” the flight attendant told her. She then took the kids back to the playground.

“Sorry about them,” Isabel said. “Those kids were pretty attached to that cop.”

“It’s fine,” I told her.

As we walked further along the pathway, she pointed out which building was the cafeteria, the school, and the infirmary. Walking further into the circle of houses, I saw one with two stories.

“That’s Ben’s,” Isabel explained. Well, that explains it. Of course the leader’s house has two stories. “Your father’s house is two doors down.”

The outside was painted a nice light blue with the door painted brown and the shudders painted black. It had a small porch. 

“Someone will be coming by to collect you for lunch. Oh, and if you want to see Jack, on the other side of the barracks.”

Which meant that if I faced the other direction walking out of the house, Jack’s would be the one directly to the left.

“Uh, Wait!” I called after her as she walked away. The woman halted. “What am I doing here?”

“You’ve been sentenced to live with us.” She gave me a fake smile. “See how much better we are.”

“For how long?”

“As long as necessary.”

“ _Necessary_?”

“By blood, you _should_ be with us. And if you cause any trouble at all, it will get worse.”

“What about-“

“Ben? He’ll be fine with it.”

My brows furrowed. She would act like this? Behind his back?

I then saw her walk to Ben’s door. Someone let her in. Oh, I guess not then.

I decided to take a look inside what is now technically my house. There was a living space. Two couches and a chair with a coffee table and an area rug in the middle. A lamp stood on top of a smaller table, making a corner between one of the chairs and couches. There was an open floor plan with the next room over being a kitchen complete with a table and two seats. A hallway connected to the front of the house with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. One of which was a powder room. The other had a shower.

I walked back into the bathroom. Well, the flight attendant did say that this place had running water. I turned the water on hot. It felt great to be able to have this again. A regular shower.

After the shower, I checked the clock. It was about noon. Walking out of the house, I found Alex. She recognized me immediately.

“Rachel?!” She asked as she ran over to me. “What are you doing here?!”

“Would you believe me if I told you I got caught snooping around your weird outer perimeter fence?” I deadpanned.

She gave me this look that told me to be serious, but also that she was glad I was here.

“So, where’s everyone else?” She inquired in a soft voice.

“Somewhere,” I sighed, putting my arms over the fence of my porch. “Probably on their way now.”

“They don’t know where you are,” she gathered. “Do they.”

“Nope.” I popped the p.

As we walked to the cafeteria, she awkwardly asked, “Is Karl alright?”

What should I say?! I don’t want to lie to her! 

You have to say _something_!

“He’s doing good,” I told her.

“That’s good.”

When we walked in, a few people stared at us. Soon, some people stopped speaking with each other. I found Jack sitting at the table with Juliet and Tom.

“Rachel?” asked Jack as he stood up, walking towards me. “What are you doing here?”

“I was caught at the walls,” I told him in a low voice. “Since I’m an Other by blood, they’re making me live here. So, what are _you_ doing here?”

He shared a look with his ‘friends’ before grabbing an apple and a banana. “Let’s talk outside.” We stepped out of the building. Jack leaned against the wall. “Would you like this apple or the banana?”

“I’ll take the apple,” I told him.

He handed me the red fruit as he peeled the banana. “They offered me a deal,” he told me with his mouth full of fruit. Then he swallowed. “They’re letting me take this submarine back to the real world—me and Juliet.”

“You wouldn’t be coming back, would you?” I questioned, taking a bite of the apple.

“The electromagnetic anomaly that made the sky purple and our ears ring disconnected their connection to the outside world, so no. Even if it tried to find this place again, I couldn’t.”

I sighed. “I see. When are you leaving?”

“Tonight, actually.”

“Can I be there to send you off?”

Jack smiled. “Of course, Rachel.” He paused, almost contemplating if he should ask. “By the way, Juliet, Tom, and I are going to throw a football around later if you want to join.”

I didn’t know if I wanted to smile or frown. “I think I’d rather kick a football than throw an American football, sorry.”

He shrugged. “It’s fine.”

That night, I gave Jack a visit. Stepping into his house, I found security cameras literally all over the place.

“Hey hey!” I announced my presence.

“Hey Rachel,” he called from the living room. Sounds of a piano reached my ears.

Walking towards the noise, I found the doctor playing the piano. “Jack of all trades I see.”

He breathed out a laugh. His hands floated over the ivory keys. A nice, soft, and slightly complicated tune filled the air.

“Jack?” we heard Kate’s voice, but I was the only one who looked at her. The two of us locked eyes. Her’s widened. “Rachel?!”

Finally, Jack stopped playing and faced her. “What are you doing here?” He asked her.

“I came to get you,” she told him before looking back at me. “ _Both_ of you, apparently.”

“Get out of here!” Jack’s voice was soft but urgent. I could tell he was trying hard not to glance at the cameras. “Right now. Go.”

“Jack…” she almost sounded hurt.

The doctor stood and yelled, “Kate, they’re watching me!” Immediately, her eyes darted around the room to see cameras. “Get out of here!”

“I’m not leaving you!”

“Yes, you are!”

The door slammed open revealing two armed men. “Get down!” Said one of them. 

“Get her down!” Yelled Ryan. They restrained her. 

“Don’t hurt her!” Jack and I shouted. But Jack was the only one who stepped forward.

Ryan responded by aiming his gun at the doctor. “Step back, doc,” he told him. “Step back.” He then turned towards me. I put my hands up in surrender.

Suddenly, two other people burst into the door with Sayid. They force both of our friends to the ground. 

“Hold him still!” Ryan commanded.

Kate tried calling out to Jack to see if he would intervene, but he made a promise. He couldn’t do anything. And I couldn’t do anything either. Something told me I shouldn’t know what ‘worse’ feels like.

“Who else was with you?” The guards questioned them.

“Jack…” Kate tried again. Her eyes pleaded with him.

“Just answer the question, Kate,” Jack told her.

“Okay,” said Ryan, cocking his gun. “One more time. Who else is with you?”

Kate’s darted from the floor to Sayid. “Nobody,” she told the guards. “Nobody else. It was just us.” I could see the question forming in her head. Why, Jack? Why?!

They locked her up in the recreation room while they chained Sayid to the playground. Jack went to see Kate, but I wasn’t allowed to go anywhere. In fact, one of the guards stayed with me on account of “I lied to Isabel.”

When she came in, I was sitting on the couch. “Would you like to retract your earlier statement?” She asked me.

I sighed. “I went with them, but they told me to go back because I was a teenager and couldn’t defend myself. So, I wandered through the jungle and happened upon your fancy perimeter fence. Kate and Sayid came here in their own time.”

She looked to be in thought for a moment. “Alright, fine. You didn’t lie, but you withheld information. We’ll discuss your next living space in the morning.”

When she left, Mr. Friendly came in. “Hey, kid,” he greeted. “We’re, Uh, heading towards the docks.” I got off the couch and followed him outside.

I mentally huffed when I saw Ryan and a few other guards were escorting them. 

I actually huffed when I saw Locke on the dock. The guards aimed their rifles at him as he went to his knees with his hands up. 

“What did you do?” I deadpanned. He opened his mouth, but I spoke before he could. Throwing my arms in the air, I told him, “You know what? I don’t even care!”

John looked at Jack. “I’m sorry, Jack,” said the bald man.

“Sorry for what?” The doctor asked in a sigh.

The bright color came before the boom. We all turned to see the submarine up in flames. Jack gave an angry glare to the hunter.

With that, the Others took us back to the barracks. They put John in a cell while they put Jack and I back in our homes. 

Somehow I couldn’t really sleep.


	39. Gassed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Others leave Rachel and all but one 815 member behind. We get a flashback that shows Rachel and Elena in the airport.

Isabel didn’t look too happy about being in my house. She sighed before saying, “Ben is giving you the choice.” I couldn’t help but notice the gas mask in her hands.

“Choice?” I questioned. I wanted to slip back into bed. Their thanks to the events from last night, I didn’t get enough sleep. Maybe if I just laid in there longer I could have.

“Whether or not you’re staying here.”

My brows furrowed. “What do you mean?” 

“We’re leaving soon. All of us, even Locke. Ben is giving you the choice of whether or not you’d like to stay.”

“I’m fine staying right here.” The blonde woman was about to leave when I asked, “Why are you leaving? And what’s with the gas mask?”

“If I told you, you might want to change your mind. Though I have half the mind to leave you here anyway.”

“Then I guess this is goodbye,” I told her before walking back to my bedroom.

I got under the covers and closed my eyes.

The sound of broken glass woke me up. I saw a canister leaking some strange gass. I tried to get it away from me, but then I started feeling really drowsy. I passed out in the hallway.

  
  


When I woke up, I did so slowly. I felt like I had a headache. Getting back into my room, I found a notebook on my nightstand. A sticky note was on top of it. It read, “You left this at the Hydra. I wanted to make sure you got it back. -Alex. P.S. Mercenaries are coming to the island. P.P.S. Oh, and sorry, but we gassed you guys. By the time you wake, it’ll be the next day.”

Quickly, I gathered the notebook, a pencil, the hairbrush they gave me, and a few apples and oranges.

While walking outside, I found no one around. No child played in the grass. No person threw an American football. No one was out for a stroll. I walked past the cafeteria to find someone leaning on one of the metal posts of the swings. Running up to them, my eyes widened as I realized it was Sayid. They just left him here, tied to the post.

“Sayid?” I asked as I untied him. He didn’t wake. “Sayid?! Wake up Damn it!”

His eyelids lifted slightly before fluttering open. “Rachel? What’s going on?”

“We were gassed. Welcome to day eighty-two of the crash.” He took my arm as he stood. The man then looked around. “Where is everyone else?” 

“The others—and Locke went somewhere not sure where. But they just up and left us.”

“Have you found anyone else?”

“Just you, but I know where Jack’s house is.”

He followed me to the small house rigged with security cameras. We found the doctor lying in the ground. “Jack?!” Sayid tried to wake him up. “Wake up Jack!”

Quickly, the doctor sprung to his feet, confused. “Rachel? Sayid? What happened?” he questioned us.

“We were gassed apparently,” the Iraqi veteran explained.

Jack peered at me and his brows creased. “They didn’t make you go with them?”

“Ben said it was my choice,” I told him. “But we need to head back to the beach soon.”

“And how would you know this?” Sayid asked a bit impatiently. I stammered as I tried to answer, but he interrupted me. “I think it’s time you tell me what your connection to the others is.” I debated giving him the notebook, but I decided against it.

I sighed. “Apparently, my father was born on this island. His mother worked with DHARMA. Then before the Purge happened, he had become one of The Others. When the leader of the time, Charles Widmore, sent him out to the real world so he could study, my dad never came back.” That was all he needed to know. 

He nodded. “That’s why you were so angry at Charlie for killing Ethan,” he gathered.

“Jack and Kate already know.”

Speaking of the criminal, she walked in not expecting to see the three of us together. I then noticed how she looked at the doctor. “I’ll see you guys outside,” I told her. As I walked back to the center of the Barracks, I found Juliet frantically looking around. “Hey!” I shouted, waving to her when she saw me.

Quickly, the blonde woman walked up to me. “Have you seen Sayid?”

“I woke him up a few minutes ago. He’s back by Jack and Kate.”

She nodded and stared down at the grass.

“Hey,” we both looked up to see Jack and Kate.

“Hey,” said Juliet.

“You okay?” The doctor asked her.

She nodded. “Yeah, you?”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

Sayid walked up to us.

“I’ve checked all the houses,” the Iraqi told us. “Everyone’s gone. No weapons, no trails… it’s like fifty people disappeared into thin air.”

With his hands on his hips, the doctor looked around. “We should take what we can find and head out while we still got light,” said Jack.

“But we need to be leaving soon,” I told them, Kate peered at me in question. “Trouble’s coming. Isn’t it, Juliet?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the blonde told me. 

Wait, she was kept in the dark? Why?

“What are you talking about, Rachel?” Kate asked me.

“I want to tell you guys when we get to the beach. Hold a meeting or something.”

“Okay,” Jack nodded. “Let’s go.” He and Juliet began walking.

“She is not coming with us.” Sayid didn’t need to point for us to figure out who she meant. The J’s stopped walking and looked back at us.

“Yes, she is,” the tattooed doctor insisted.

The veteran’s eyes squinted slightly. “Why?”

“Because they left her behind too.” Jack and Juliet began heading off. That left the three of us just standing here. We glanced at each other before following them, grabbing whatever we could.

After which, we headed out to the jungle, on our way to the beach most of us were starting to call home. Once it got late, we decided to stop for the night and rest. Kate and Jack left to get firewood. Meanwhile, Sayid attempted to ask Juliet questions. She didn’t answer them though.

After Jack and Kate came back, I noticed Juliet staring at me. “What?” I asked a bit ruder than I meant to.

”Nothing. I just... I had a sister named Rachel.”

———

“Nervous?” Elena asked me as we sat in the food court of the airport terminal.

“A little, yeah,” I said, taking a sip of my soda. 

Elena held my free hand. “It’ll be alright. Okay? I’ll even stay with you through to the weekend before flying back here if it makes you more comfortable.”

“Thanks, El.” We smiled at each other.

“There's nowhere to sit. No tables, no chairs, nothing,” a loud American complained. The two of us looked over to see a young blonde woman and a young brunette man. “Good call, Boone.”

“Do you wanna just grab a chair from the restaurant?” Boone asked sarcastically.

“No, forget it, let's just leave. You already screwed us out of seats in first class, why would you be able to find them here?”

I sighed as I looked back at Elena.

———

I woke up with a start. The sun hadn’t yet come very high in the sky, but it was light enough.

I huffed as I moved a branch out of my while walking around. It was weird to think about running into dead people at the airport. They were so rude to each other when I first saw the two that I forgot about them. Well, until the crash.

Glancing up, I found Shannon just standing there.

“So, you a ghost, or that shadow-thing?” I asked her.

She stepped closer to me asking, “Which do you want to believe?”

“So you’re the smoke, then.” I nodded. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m just curious,” she told me.

I tilted my head slightly. “About what?”

The blonde crossed her arms. “Why did you let Juliet join you?”

“Oh, so you’re watching us now?” I remarked.

She glared. “Just answer the question.”

“I don’t know, to be honest.” I glanced down, but when my eyes returned to their original gaze, she was gone.

I sighed as I found a large, turned-over tree to sit on. I found myself singing. “La mer, qu’on voit danser. Le long de golfe clairs. A des reflets d’argent. La mer, des reflets changeants. Sous la pluie.”

Rustling from the brush made me stop. I stood, on guard. Looking back, I became relieved. Sayid stood there with a blank face.

“What are you doing up early?” He asked as he stepped closer to me.

“I don’t know, I just…”I shrugged. “Woke up.”

He studied my experience. “But something _is_ bothering you, yes?”

“Yeah,” I huffed as I sat on the log. Sayid joined me.

“What is it?”

“I saw Shannon in a dream.” He glanced at me almost stunned. “It was a memory, really. Elena and I were at the airport food court when Shannon and Boone came in, arguing. Then,” I paused. “I saw her.” I pointed in front of me. “She was right there, but it wasn’t her.”

He fixed his posture. “What do you mean?”

“I’m pretty sure it was the weird smoke monster.”

I saw doubt in his eyes. “Rachel-“

“Don’t tell me that I’m crazy. I know what I saw.” I stood. “Or did you forget that you saw Walt too?” With nothing else to say to him, I left him sitting there.

When I got back to our temporary camp, I flipped through my father’s notebook, making annotations in the darn thing. Marking where time travel was most likely possible, marking similarities between him and I, and making all kinds of notes on the different DHARMA facilities on the island.

Next, I brushed my hair. Let me tell you, it was mighty tangled. 

When the other three woke up, we soon resumed our walk back to camp. Sayid walked fast with Kate not far behind him. Those two wanted to get back to camp fast. I didn’t blame them as I followed close behind them. I Juliet and Jack walked a few paces slower behind me.


	40. The Talks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group was finally back, and there's much to discuss.

When we finally arrived at the beach, everyone came running up to us. I was glad to see Jin, Sun, Hurley, Charlie, Claire, and Aaron again. They all gave me warm hugs. Well, all except Aaron. Claire held the baby as his hand grabbed one of my fingers.

Juliet stayed back as we greeted everyone else.

“The hell is she doing here?!” Sawyer questioned. Literally, everyone looked over at Juliet.

I crossed my arms. “Sawyer, Hurley, Charlie, Desmond, can we talk to you?” I piped up.

“Sure.” Said Sawyer. I looked at Sayid, Jack, and Kate. The four of them followed us to my tent. “What is it, Rachel?” I squinted my eyes at him. He never calls people by their actual names. What happened?

“So,” I said, setting my bag down. “Before they left, I got a message from Alex, one of the Others’ kids. She told me that this group of mercenaries was coming to the island.” I glanced at Kate and Sayid. “That’s why they left in such a hurry and gassed us.”

“Hold on,” said Sawyer. “They gassed you?”

“Yeah, we were out for a day or so. But I have no idea how or when these mercs are coming.”

“Or even if they’re coming,” Charlie theorized. We all glanced at him.

“Dude,” I said, looking like I asked him if he was serious. “Why else would the Others suddenly leave their homes?”

“Do you know who sent them?” Desmond questioned, leaning against the post.

I sighed. “No. But we can’t tell everyone else yet. I don’t want to start a panic.” They nodded.

Soon after, a meeting between all of the camp was held. Everyone wasn’t too comfortable with letting Juliet just hang around here. So a camp-wide meeting was held in the kitchen. First, we told them the basics of what happened to us. I left a few details out. Then, we circled back to the subject of Juliet. The group sent Hurley to look after her.

Quite frankly, I didn’t like this at all. I stood to the side of the structure with my arms laying on the structure. “I don’t believe for a second that she was gassed along with us,” I told Jack. “And I don’t believe that she’s here for nothing.” A few of the others agreed with me.

“They left her behind without an explanation,” Jack told us. He stood at the far corner with everyone else gathered close to me.

“They left her behind so she could spy on us!” Charlie projected. He and Claire stood on the opposite side of the structure from Sawyer and me. The con man leaned against a large post.

The sky began to darken. Even then we still discussed.

“Guys,” Jack said with his arms out. “Just trust her.”

“Trust her?” Sun challenged. She and Jin stood a few feet away from me with a few humans in between us. “She’s one of them.”

Jack looked tired. “I told you, they left her behind. She can’t be one of them anymore.”

“Oh yeah?” Charlie asked. “Where’d they go?”

“I told you, I dunno.”

The blonde con man inclined his head towards Juliet. “Well, maybe we better ask her,” Sawyer suggested with crossed arms.

“She doesn’t know either.”

“She could be lying to you, Jack,” I told him, resting my hands on my hips.

“Here’s a wacky idea,” the con man continued smugly. “Let's stick our resident Iraqi on her. Let him do what he does, then see what she says.”

“No,” told Sayid. He stood near Claire. “I don’t do that anymore.”

“Well ain’t that convenient?”

“But I don't trust her, Jack. If she's so innocent, why won't she answer my questions?” Most of us agreed that Sayid brought up a good point. 

“Just give her some time,” Jack urged us. “She’s afraid.”

“How much time?”

“Look.” The doctor glanced around. “The fact that I trust her, should be enough.”

“Well guess what.” I projected, making his eyes turn to me. “It’s not.”

“Agreed,” Sayid said.

“And where’d Locke go?” Sawyer questioned.

“He went with them,” Jack stated. “Right after he destroyed the sub, the sub that was gonna take me off this Island.”

Hurley blinked for a second. He looked confused. “What?” He asked.

Sawyer, equally confused, asked, “They were gonna let you go?”

Jack nodded. “Yeah.”

“Said who?”

Jack didn’t hesitate. “Ben.”

“Ben.” Hatred flashed in his eyes for a moment. “Whose life you saved.”

“Sawyer lay off,” Kate told him. Something told me he wasn’t going to.

He pointed at the doctor. “You should have let that bug-eyed bastard die!”

Kate stepped towards the dirty blonde. “He did it for us.”

He turned towards her and gestured to Jack. “Sounds like he did it for himself.”

“James-“

“Something you wanna ask me, Sawyer?” Jack asked him.

Sawyer turned around with an almost pissed off look to him. “Yeah Jack, I wanna ask you why you're fighting every one of us and sticking up for one of them.”

“Look, I spent every moment over there trying to find a way off this Island. I was trying to help all of us. I was trying to get us rescued.”

I looked over at Claire to see her spitting out blood. “Jack! There’s something wrong with Claire!” Charlie called out. Everyone else looked towards him. Claire would have lost her balance if Charlie hadn’t gotten a hold of her. Blood covered her hand, which she held up to catch the red that she coughed up.

Jack walked towards them saying, “Put her head back, put her head back. Let’s get her up.” He then turned towards the musician as they took her back to Claire’s tent. “How long’s she been like this?” Most of us followed with concern.

“Er… she started feeling bad this morning.”

“Before she got back, was she showing any symptoms at all?”

Charlie shook his head. “No, she was fine.”

“What about water? Has she been drinking enough?”

The musician nodded. “I think so, yeah.”

“Alright, keep that head up.” They placed a pillow under her head.

A few minutes later, I was back by the fire with Sawyer and Sayid when we saw Juliet, Jack, and Kate having a conversation.

“Giving you a bad feeling in your stomach?” Sawyer asked. The two of us nodded. “Me too.”

When we saw her leave, Sayid suggested, “Why don’t we follow her?” The two men went to the con man’s tent to grab guns. I stayed by the fire. Once they were out, Sayid glanced at me. We nodded to each other.

It was morning when Juliet got back. Not soon after, Sawyer and Sayid followed. I watched close to my tent as Juliet marched over to Claire’s place with a case in her hand. Charlie, who had stayed with the mother and child overnight, protested Juliet’s plan. Then, Jack came over and smoothed everything out. Soon after, Claire woke up.

Next, Jack approached the people, asking if it were alright if he at least gave her some blankets, pillows, and a tarp. Most people were alright with it. Everyone agreed that she can stay by the lean-to to make her shelter. 

I spent most of the day in my tent updating my map. I placed Mikhail’s station, the Flame, not too far from where I placed the Barracks. The Line wasn’t all that far from them. 

Hurley, Charlie, Desmond, and Jin headed out. Apparently, they were going ‘camping.’ But by the way, Hurley stood when he told me that, I’m guessing they were going to do a lot more.

When night came around, my stomach growled. I guess I was relaxed enough to eat something. Heading over to the kitchen, I found Kate. I guess she had the same idea.

Once Kate noticed my approach, she asked, “Want some oatmeal?”

The only one who went near her that night was Jack. Go figures. 

“Uh, sure?” I said, unsure about the whole add-water-to-make-the-powder-into-food deal.

She smiled as she poured another serving into the pot. “Don’t worry, you’ll like it.”

I sighed as I glanced up at the stars. The stars were out nice and bright. “I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of staring at the night sky here. The air is so clear.”

“Yeah,” she exhaled. Soon, Jack arrived.

Once it was ready, I grabbed my food and left. Jack might have taken it the wrong way though. I didn’t say anything to him. 

Part of me still wished that Elena and my family were still alive. They would have loved a night like tonight. 

  
  



	41. Can We Trust Jack?

It’s day eighty five on the island now. Hurley, Desmond, Charlie, and Jin aren’t back yet. Everyone was growing less and less trustful of Jack because of Juliet.

Currently, Sun and I helped Kate with her tent. The two adults pulled it back while I helped tie the tarp on the roof.

“How’s this?” asked Sun after we finished.

“That’s perfect,” Kate smiled. “Thank you.”

Sun then stared at the kitchen area. Glancing over there, I found Jack putting something together. “What do you think happened to Jack?” Sun wondered out loud. “While he was with the Others. Since he's been back, he seems different.”

“No doubt about that,” I stated, turning my attention back to the tent. “But they didn’t do anything to him. At least…” I glanced at Kate. “Not while we were captured there.”

“We were all prisoners,” Kate joined in the conversation. “And the only reason why he cooperated was 'cause he thought they'd let him off the Island.”

“Do you believe him?” Sun asked us.

Kate looked at the woman strangely. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“He came to me asking about my pregnancy.” She said it like there was something to worry about.

“So?” I asked, putting my hands in my pockets. “He’s a doctor—Ohhh.” I nodded my head. “You think they got to him, right? Like, they got him to work for them.” I frowned. In a low voice, I asked her, “Do you think the Others are working through Jack to get your baby or something?”

She shrugged and nodded. “It’s possible.”

“He’s _not_ working with them,” Kate assured us before turning to me. She pointed an accusatory finger at me. “And _you_ should know that!” Her statement was breathy, as if she didn’t want to shout.

I blinked before giving her a black, unimpressed gaze. “I’m sorry, did you live with him in his house filled with security cams? Because I don’t think you did. Just because I was in a similar situation like his, that doesn’t mean I know when they spoke to him or what they talked about.”

“Listen,” she said, almost as if gritting her teeth. “We _both_ know that Juliet had _something_ to do with it.” She then looked towards the blonde. She was doing her laundry with one of the water-collecting tarps.

Sun glanced at us for information.

“She was their doctor,” Kate explained. “their fertility doctor studying pregnant women, and... when Claire was sick, she told me and Jack... the reason the Others wanted her baby was for research.”

Sun began walking probably before she gave herself time to think. Kate rushed after the Korean.

“Sun, wait, you don’t have to do this,” Kate reminded her.

“Go away, Kate,” Sun told her. The brunette didn’t.

Juliet and Sun seemed to have a conversation. From the looks of things, it was u settling news to the pregnant woman. Kate ended up dragging her away.

In the morning, I noticed that Juliet and Sun were gone. I felt like going out to look for them, but I knew that what they were dealing with might have been about Sun’s pregnancy. So I wasn’t too worried. 

When the Korean woman came back, I came up to her. “Are you okay?” I asked.

Sun turned towards me and said, “I’m fine. Thank you for asking.”

“And the baby?”

“It’s fine too.” She nodded.

We smiled at each other before I walked away.

It was day eighty seven now. I couldn’t help but notice that Hurley, Desmond, and Jin were hovering about Hurley’s tent. Curious, I walked over to them.

“What are you doing?” I asked with my hands on my hips. They froze and didn’t answer. I looked at Jin. _“What’s going on?”_ I asked in Korean.

He almost looked apologetic. The men shared glances. “Rachel? What are you doing here?” asked Charlie. I turned around to see him with a large circular tray of food from the kitchen.

“Charlie, what are _you_ doing here?” 

“You’re going to have to ask her yourself,” he told me before ducking into Hurley’s tent. 

Wait a minute, ‘her?’ I fought the urge to sigh as I followed him in.

Laying in the middle of Hurley’s tent was a brown skinned woman. She had a bandage on her side. Charlie gave her all the food.

“Who are you?” I asked her as I squatted down.

“My name’s Naomi,” she said weakly. “I crashed here on a helicopter, looking for Desmond.”

My brows furrowed. “And not the missing people of Oceanic Flight 815 because…?” 

She looked into my eyes. “Because they showed footage of the wreckage underwater with these robots on the news. Every seat was filled with bodies.”

First came the shock. Then the sadness. My own family and friends think I’m dead. Everyone thinks that we’re all dead. Last came the quiet rage. I clenched my fist as I came to the realization that someone planted a fake wreckage there. Someone made it look like the real deal so that no one could come looking for us. All this time, it wasn’t simply because of a navigation error. 

“Well,” I finally spoke. “Look at us. We’re all here. Everyone here on this beach except for Desmond and this blonde chick named Juliet were on that flight.” I stood, not wanting to be involved anymore. “Who sent you, anyway?”

“My company was hired by a lady named Penelope Widmore,” she told me.

My eyes widened. “I’m sorry, did you say ‘Widmore?’”

“Yes?” She looked at me confused.

The fuck? I’m out.

When I got back into my tent, I grabbed my pillow and screamed into it.

When I finished calling down, I took a look at my father’s diary again. On multiple occasions, it mentioned a man named Charles Widmore. According to my dad, he was the leader of the Others. But Ben’s the leader now, which means that something happened to Widmore.

Now the question was… did Charles have a daughter before or after Ben kicked him off the island? Before would be the most likely. That gives reason for Ben kicking him off. Probably. I don’t even know.

When I emerged from my tent, I found Jack sitting with Juliet. The two of them were sharing a meal. I walked closer to hear their conversation. Then Kate came over.

“Hey,” Kate greeted the man.

“Hey,” he parroted.

“I need to talk to you,” Kate told him.

Jack nodded. “Okay.”

“In private,” Kate urged.

“No problem,” Juliet said as she moved to get up.

Jack stopped her from leaving though. “Anything you wanna say to me, you can say it in front of her.” He gestured to the blonde.

“Not this,” Kate told him.

“It’s _okay_ ,” Juliet tried.

“No, no, no,” said Jack. “You can stay.”

“You know what? You _should_ stay.” Anger displayed Itself in Kate’s voice. No one moved. “Seems only fair considering she's the reason that no one wants to tell you that there's a woman in Hurley's tent who parachuted onto the Island yesterday.”

Jack stood. “What?” He asked, as if that were impossible. 

“A woman,” Kate explained. “She jumped from her chopper before it crashed. She says that the boat that she took off from is about 80 miles off the coast and that if she can find a way to contact it, we'll all be rescued.”

He glanced around before asking her, “Why didn’t anyone tell me this?”

“I already told you, because they don’t trust you. Even Rachel.”

Jack looked to Juliet then back at Kate. “How?” What was he asking here?

“How what?”

“How is she supposed to contact her boat?”

“Did you hear what I just said?” Kate leaned forward. “Hurley, Charlie, Sayid, your friends are afraid to-“

“Kate!” She stopped. “How?” He sounded as if he almost didn’t care about them anymore.

In a calmer voice, she said, “She had a phone radio thing, Sayid's trying to get it to work.” Really? I didn’t see one. Although, maybe that’s because I ran out too quickly. 

“We should tell her,” said Juliet, turning towards Jack. Tell her what? Does she know about the found wreckage? Does she know something entirely different?

“No.” The doctor shook his head.

“Tell me what?” Kate almost demanded.

“We should tell her,” the blonde woman urged.

“Not yet,” Jack told her. He then walked off.

I followed him. For some reason, I was mad at this guy. “The hell are you acting all high and mighty for Jack?” I asked.

He stopped walking and turned to me, asking, “What?”

“You act all high and mighty, and for what?!” I stepped closer to him. “No one trusts you anymore, you stuck up, half-witted, scruffy-looking nerf-herder!” I mentally sighed. Silly me and my Star Wars brain.

“You’re going with that?” He asked, partly insulted, partly amused, and partly unimpressed.

I glared at him with a frown. “Yes, Jack. We’re going with that.” I sighed. “What is she not ready to hear?”

“Rachel,” Kate said in a harsh tone to get me to drop it.

I sighed and went back to my tent. Kate followed me. She sat with me outside my tarp-house. 

“I’m sorry,” I said to her. “He just seemed like a jerk, and-“

“It’s okay,” she told me. I glanced at her. Kate hugged her knees. “He’ll come around eventually.”

“You hope so, anyway.” I exhaled. “What are we going to do about Naomi?”

“I don’t know.” We stared into the ocean. The breeze and the waves gave off a calming sensation. 


	42. The Tape and The Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naomi is now no longer hidden, and the Others are moving to attack.

The night of the eighty-ninth day was hectic to say the least. Everyone at camp ran around with buzz about Naomi. Some good, some bad. I avoided most of it by staying in my tent. Some people though, went up to my tent and asked me from the door.

“This is very antisocial of you,” my mom remarked. I glanced up from my books to see her sitting in front of me with her legs crossed. This was new. I’ve never seen her here before.

“Have been for a while,” I told her with my eyes scanning over the words I missed. The light from the flashlight that I hung from the roof created a nice light source. “Everyone here is an adult anyway.”

“Well,” she sighed. “You might want to go out now. The people are having an important discussion.”

“About what?” I asked with little interest. She didn’t answer. Glancing back up again, I found that she had gone. I exhaled as I turned the flash light off and got out of the tent. 

The people had once again gathered in the kitchen.

Once I got there, everyone but Juliet and Jack were discussing things. I entered the mass of people with my arms crossed. Naomi was there too.

“So, what?” asked Claire. She leaned against the central structure. “The whole world thinks we’re dead?”

“That’s not important right now,” Sayid told her.

“Not important?!” Sun parroted, not believing those words. She leaned against one of the horizontal beams.

“What do you mean, it’s not important, Sayid?” Claire questioned the man.

“Excuse me,” said Naomi. Most everyone turned towards her. She had placed herself in a corner. “I’m sorry, but don’t you want to be rescued?”

“We kept her secret to keep her safe,” Sayid explained.

“Safe from what, Sayid?” Kate asked. She and Sawyer stood next to each other.

“Safe from Jack.” No surprise there. “He spent a week with the Others, and he brought one of them back with him. Here, amongst us. And every time we try to get answers from this woman, he prevents her from giving them.”

“But it’s _Jack!_ ” Sun argued. “He would never do anything to hurt us. And Juliet? I believe she's a good person.”

Sawyer turned towards her with a scowl. “Good person, huh?” He challenged. “You basing that on what? Wouldn't involve her taking you to one of their medical stations would it now, Mrs. Kwon?”

“How-“

Sawyer held out a tape recorder and hit the play button before Sun got any further. It was Juliet’s voice. “Kwon is pregnant, the fetus is healthy and was conceived on-Island with her husband, he was sterile before they got here.”

 _“What is it?”_ I heard Jin ask his wife. She didn’t answer.

Juliet’s tape went on to say, “I'm still working on getting samples from the other women. I should have Austen's soon. I'll report back when I know more.”

“Where’d you get that?” came Jack’s voice. We all turned to see him with his backpack on one of his shoulders. Juliet stood next to him.

“Where have you been?” Sayid asked the doctor.

Shepherd stepped forward. “I asked you where you got it,” he reminded.

“Turn the tape over,” Juliet advised.

“Stay outa this,” Sawyer retorted.

“You wanna burn me at the stake, here I am, but first, turn the tape over, press play.”

Sawer looked towards Sayid who did nothing. The con man turned over the recorder and pressed play.

Ben’s voice said, “Juliet, it's Ben. I'm sending three teams to extract Kwon the night after tomorrow. We won't have time to run Austen's sample, so if you determine that she or anyone else is pregnant, mark their tents, and we'll take them, too. Good luck.”

Everyone stood there, shocked for a moment. Juliet then turned to Sun and told her, “The night I saw your baby on the ultrasound, I told Jack what they were making me do.”

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Sawyer wondered aloud.

“Because I hadn’t decided what to do about it yet,” Jack told him.

“‘Yet?’” Sayid emphasized. We all shared glances.

I sighed loudly. “I’m going to bed. It’s late.” Once a few steps away from the kitchen I stopped and turned around. Facing Jack, I told him, “Whatever you’re planning, show us soon, okay?” I then went back to my tent. From the sound of things, most everyone else did too.

Early the next morning, Jack woke me and a few other people up. Along with myself, Desmond, Charlie, Kate, Sawyer, Claire, Sayid, Juliet, Sun, Jin and Hurley all followed Jack into the jungle.

The doctors walked in the front, followed by Kate, Sawyer, Sayid, myself, the Kwons, Hurley, Claire, Desmond, and Charlie.

“Anyone want to venture a guess as to what Jack's going to be showing us out here in the middle of nowhere?” Asked Charlie as we walked into a very large clearing.

Hurley shrugged. “I dunno. Stuff. Probably secret stuff.”

“Why does everything have to be such a secret? How about some openness for a change?”

“We kept the parachute lady secret.”

“Ah, that’s different.”

“Different how?” Claire interjected.

“Well, because we weren't out there playing football with them-“ he stopped talking then and there. Looking behind me, I found that Desmond and Charlie had stopped.

The group stopped at a tree line. The J’s stood in front of us. “A couple of nights ago,” Jack began to explain. “Juliet came to me and she told me everything: that Ben had sent her here to find out which of our women were pregnant-“

“So what,?” Kate interrupted. “You guys were doing tests on us?”

Juliet gave us that blank stare as she explained things further. “No, but that's what he wanted me to do. I've been leaving tapes at the medical station. You all heard what he said; they're coming tomorrow. Sun, I'm sorry that I lied to you.”

“While I appreciate your honesty, Jack,” Sayid spoke up. “It doesn't explain why you brought us out here.”

The male doctor cupped his hands around his mouth. “DANIELLE!!” He shouted. Soon, the French woman emerged. “Show ‘em,” Jack urged.

The French brunette stepped forward and unveiled a fuse box from some well-placed foliage. Then, she grabbed two wires and linked them.

The sound of the explosion hit everyone first. We stared at the now blown up tree which, surprisingly, didn’t set a fire to the rest of the brush.

That’s when Jack explained everything. “When Juliet told me they were coming, the first thing I thought was, ‘Where the hell are we gonna hide this time?’ But hiding's pointless. They're just gonna keep coming back. So I went out and I found some help. And for the past few days she's been bringing dynamite back from the Black Rock. For the very first time we know exactly what they want, when they're coming to get it, and they have no idea that we're gonna be waiting for 'em. So Juliet's gonna mark the tents with the white rocks just like she was told to, but there's not going to be any pregnant women inside; there's gonna be plenty of what we just used on that tree. So tomorrow night, we stop hiding, we stop running, we stop living in fear of them, because when they show up, we're gonna blow 'em all to hell.”

Once we got back, I went to the kitchen area to grab myself some food. Charlie went with me, but ended up writing something down on a piece of paper. It was in black sharpie and in huge font.

Naomi approached us. “Can I ask you something?” She questioned.

“Sure/yeah?” Charlie and I responded. We glanced at each other before looking at her.

She rested her arms on the platform. “Who are you people going to war with?” 

“Now that’s a long story,” Charlie told her. “Wanna ask me something else?”

Naomi looked unimpressed. I took a bite of my cereal as she asked, “You having a laugh?”

The blonde shook his head as he scooted towards us. “No, of course not. I’d never disrespect a Mancurian.”

“You’re from Manchester, then?!” She smiled with delight showing in her eyes.

Charlie nodded. “I am. My band got its start at the Night and Day bar on Oldham Street.”

Naomi laughed. “What band?”

“Oh, we’re called Drive Shaft.”

Her eyes widened slightly as she nodded. “Yeah, yeah, I know you.”

“We had our moment in the sun-“ Charlie began to lament but the woman interrupted him.

“No, not that, the crash. You're the dead rock star. They made a big deal out of you when they found the plane — huge memorial service, new album.”

“There’s a new album?”

“Yeah. God, it was everywhere... a greatest hits thing.”

The musician smiled but it soon faded when he glanced somewhere. Following his gaze, I found Desmond. 

“Hey, look on the bright side,” Naomi implored him. “You’re not really dead, right?”

“Yeah, right.” His tone sounded disinterested, but they smiled at each other. Charlie soon excused himself.

“There really is a lot to explain,” I voiced. She turned towards me. “But basically, we call them the Others, but Hostiles seem more fitting. They were here before us. Kidnapped a bunch of people from the tail section of the plane.” I stretched a little before going to the shoreline to wash my dishes.

When I walked back to my tent, I saw Rousseau, Jack, Sayid, and Kate set up the Kwon tent. They needed a lot more wire. So, I gathered a bunch of people to strip the plane wreckage with me. Once we felt that we had enough, we brought it all back to camp.

Then, something unexpected happened. I could have sworn that I saw Karl on Alex’s boat. He brought it to shore and hopped out. Everyone rushed towards him, but Sayid tackled him to the ground.

“Hey! Get off him, Sayid! It’s okay!” I shouted as I ran over to them.

“Get off him, damnit!” Sawyer joined me.

Sayid looked up at us in alarm. “What?! He’s one of them!”

“We know, but it’s _okay,”_ I told him. “He was in one of the cages with Sawyer before they moved him to some weird brainwashing room.”

“The hell are you doing here, Karl?” the blonde con man asked the teen.

Once Sayid got off the kid, he stood and shouted, “They're coming!” His eyes shifted form person to person. “My people.”

“Sorry you came all this way for nothing, but we already know.”

Karl’s eyes widened. “Then why are you still here?!”

“Because when your people show up here tomorrow night, we're gonna be ready for 'em.”

The teen’s eyes squinted. “Tomorrow? No. No, they're coming tonight. They're coming right now!!!”

Us Crashies shared a shocked and worried glance. We brought him farther into camp. Everyone except Jack formed a crowd around Karl. The doctor paced back and forth as the kid explained things.

“Is that everything?” Jack asked. He looked and sounded pissed.

Karl nodded. “Yeah.”

Jack turned towards me and Kate. The two of us stood next to each other. “Do you trust him?”

Kate shrugged while I said, “Sure.”

“You don’t trust me?” Kat asked us, almost sounding stunned. He then pointed a finger at Juliet. “What about her?! She's a spy. She's supposed to mark the tents of the pregnant women with white rocks so they can take them.”

With her arms crossed and an unimpressed look on her face, Juliet told him, “They know, Karl, but thanks.”

Hurley, who leaned against a tree, asked, “So, what are we going to do?”

“We have to leave now,” said Sun. “Hide.”

“Where?” asked Bernard with his arms outstretched. “It's their Island; if they wanna kill us, they'll find us.”

“The sun's gonna go down in a few hours,” Jack pointed out. He then turned to Rousseau. “Do we have enough wire yet?”

“Not even close,” Danielle told him.

“We've gotta figure out a different way of setting the dynamite off.”

“We could shoot them from the trees or something,” I suggested.

Jack turned to me and said, “We don’t have enough guns.” The doctor briefly pointed at Karl. “He said that ten of them are coming, _armed_. And even if there were enough guns, Rachel, I wouldn’t allow you to.”

I sighed as Sayid picked up on what I was getting at. “Not the Others, the tents. We can camouflage the dynamite next to the tents. Target it from our positions in the tree line.”

“Juliet marked three tents,” Jack pointed out. “That means we need three guns.”

Immediately, Karl held out a handgun. “Whoa!” Hurley reacted. Everyone else was taken a back a little. A few put their hands up in defense.

“Here,” Karl offered. “You can have mine too.”

“I’ll be your third,” Rousseau offered.

Jack walked up to the kid and told him, “We'll take your gun, but you're not staying here. You're gonna lead everyone to the radio tower. Everyone.”

“Radio tower?!” Claire questioned its existence.

“Now, if this doesn't work,” Jack addressed the camp. “We can't risk losing the chance of getting in contact with Naomi's boat, so everything has to happen at the same time. Charlie? You still up for a swim?”

Charlie nodded and said, “yeah. I believe I am.”

“I’ll go with him,” Desmond decided. He stood with his arms crossed.

“We better get to it,” Jack stated.

Even though I knew Sayid didn’t currently trust Jack, I knew that he wouldn’t let me be the last gunman anyway. So, I packed my things. 

I debated whether or not I should bring my suitcase with me. My tent won’t get blown up, and it isn’t close to any of the marked tents. Then again, if it _is_ destroyed, that would suck. Yet, I knew that I should value my life over my possessions.

Walking out of my tent with only a full backpack, I noticed something in Aaron’s crib. Walking over there, I found Charlie’s ring.

“Claire!” I shouted. Luckily, the blonde wasn’t too far away. She and Hurley turned around. Running up to them, I handed Claire the ring. “Charlie left this. I figured that you should hang onto it.”

“Uh, thanks,” said Claire, trying to rearrange her hold on her things.

With that, we joined the rest of the group and headed towards the radio tower.


	43. Up To The Radio Tower, And Down To The Beach

By the time we reached the rocky edge of the island, I found myself walking next to Karl. We took our steps behind Juliet and Jack. Hurley and Vincent weren’t too many people behind. 

“So,” I voiced, wanting to strike up a conversation to pass the time better. “What was it like frowning up on the island?”

“Well,” he paused, adjusting his shoulder strap. “Probably not as exciting as yours. Nothing much happened here. Alex and I were basically the only teenagers on the island. But uh…” he glanced around the rocks, then at the ocean. “It was nice, for a time. I mean, the island is so…” he struggled to find the words.

Beautiful? Strange? Alluring?

“I think I can catch your meaning,” I said, glancing about all the rocks.

“And I  _ was  _ kind of going to be a doctor. I even developed the x-Ray photos of Ben’s tumor.” I nodded my head. Ah, yes. The thing that could have killed the bastard if Jack hadn’t done surgery on him. “So,” he glanced at me before watching his step. “What was it like growing up in New Zealand?”

“It was nice,” I said as I looked out towards the ocean. “I had a very kind mom—I got my hair from her, by the way— but I also had a very secretive dad. My little brother Joey was a little bundle of joy. Annoying, and a pain, most of the time, but cute. And… I went to school with everyone else my age, had a nice group of friends. And I had relatives in Los Angeles on my mom’s side, that we would often visit. I went on hikes with my family and friends—even went camping a bunch of times.”

“See?” Asked Karl, gesturing to me. “More exciting.”

“But it also has it’s bad moments too. I bet they had  _ those _ in my file,” I remarked, noticing Jack stay behind to speak with Naomi.

“Uh, yeah.” He studied the ground for a moment. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry about what happened. To your family, and to Elena.”

“Thanks.” We shared a glance for a moment. “I mean, a lot of people have said that to me already, but thanks.” Our group then arrived back at the base tree line.

“You ever driven a car?” I asked randomly.

“No,” he sighed. “But I want to.”

“If I ever get off this island, I probably will,” I said as I stepped up and over a large rock. “I mean, I’m a little scared to, but I’ll need to know it at some point.”

“Why would you be scared? I think it’d be awesome.”

I nearly smiled. “My uncle got hit with a car and died.”

“Oh,” he frowned. “Right. Okay. Sorry.” So, this boy definitely read the information the Others collected on me. I had no desire to find out what else it said about me.

“It’s fine. He was high, anyway.” I held out my pointer finger. “Which is also why I’ve sworn to never do drugs.”

When the sky darkened, everyone watched from our ledge far away from the beach. One explosion. Then the second. We waited and waited. Smoke rose up into the sky. Nothing came.

“There were supposed to be  _ three _ explosions,” Rose pointed out, beginning to get nervous.

Kate turned to Jack and said, “It didn’t work.”

“Why were there only two explosions?” Sun wondered out loud. 

“Maybe they didn’t have to blow up the third tent,” Jack suggested.

“But those gunshots,” Rose stated. “What was that all-“

“He’s OK, Rose,” Jack reassured her.

“Do you believe that?” Sun asked him, turning towards the man.

The doctor tried to ease things further. “Listen, they had no idea that we were waiting for them. And Sayid's with your husbands, they're gonna be fine and they're gonna be a couple of hours behind us.”

“Then we should wait for them here. You go on-“

“No,” Jack said firmly. “No one gets left behind.”

“If you say live together die alone to me, Jack,” Rose piped up. “I'm gonna punch you in your face.” A few of us chuckled.

He nodded.“Fair enough, Rose. Fair enough.” The leading doctor then turned towards the rest of the group. “But we have a plan,” he announced. “And for all we know, it worked. It's gonna be OK, everything's gonna be alright. Let's just keep moving, OK?”

Only a few verbally replied while the rest of us picked our packs off the ground and began walking.

It was light out when the caravan stopped to collect water from the stream. We had rested for only an hour. I knew that something was off. If things had gone according to plan, Jin, Bernard, and Sayid should have caught up with us by now. I’m worried.

As we continued to walk towards the tower, I soon noticed that Sayid and Juliet weren’t with the group. I had checked, just for the sake of looking behind me. They were gone a few minutes after the stream. Karl and I still stuck together though.

Well, for a while, anyway. A few minutes after Juliet and Sawyer left, I saw something. Or rather, someone. My little brother Joey stood in the jungle, peeking out from behind one of the trees. He then smiled, laughed, and ran away as if this were a game of hide and seek.

“Hey, Karl,” I said to him. “I’m gonna catch up with you guys later.”

He stopped and gave me a blatantly confused gaze. “Why? Where are you going?”

“There’s just something I need to check out. I won’t be long.”

Luckily, he didn’t follow me. I traversed down the hill, side-stepping here and there. 

“Rachel!” I heard Eko’s voice. Whipping my head around, I saw him standing there. “Do not trust the smoke! It took the form of my brother, Yemi. It’s deceitful!” Silently, I thanked him for the input. “Wait, where are you going?”

Then, I came across a large rock. That’s where the smoke greeted me.

“What game are you playing now?” I asked it. 

It shapeshifted into my father. “How long are you going to let Juliet and Karl be with your group?” His hands were gathered behind him as he stood straight.

My brows creased slightly. “Hey, I’m not going to kill them, if that’s what you want me to do.”

He paced. “Interesting that your mind went straight to killing,” he noted. “But no doubt, you’ve seen your father from beyond the grave. As he did.”

I gave him a tired glare. “What do you want?”

“On the contrary, what do you want?”

“Rachel?” I turned around to see Karl standing there. Really? Out of all the people.

I sighed, glancing at the dirt before meeting his eyes. “What are you doing here?”

“Well,” he paused. “What are you doing here?” he asked as he glanced around.

“I asked first,” I told him, adjusting my back pack straps.

“I wasn’t going to follow you at first, but-”

I huffed. “You know what? Let’s just go.” As we began walking I looked behind me to see that the smoke monster wasn’t there. That thing -- guy or whatever -- he keeps taking on different forms. But why? It almost doesn’t make any sense.

With Eko, it seems as if he only saw the smoke take the form of his brother. So then why would the smoke monster appear to me as different people?

Glancing up, I found that Karl and I had rejoined the group. I kept my head down in thought as we trekked on.

Oh! I think I get it. The smoke turns into the person to whom he’s speaking with is most influential. With Eko, that would be his brother. But with me… let’s see. He’s definitely appeared to me as my father, and as Elena. Maybe even Joey a few minutes before -- just to gain my attention. On Hydra island though, I can’t tell if the Shannon who I talked to was the real, ghost Shannon, or the smoke guy. 

And Walt, too! Unless that was Walt’s own power… which the Other’s feared, for some reason. 

But how can the smoke have the power to do such things?

_ “If you ever get that journal back, it tells of how I stumbled upon something called The Heart of the Island. _ ” I remembered my dad’s words.  _ “It’s not a place you should go, understand?” _

“Rachel.” Hearing Rose’s voice, my head snapped up. 

“Yeah?”

“You okay, sweetie? Have you drunk enough water?”

I nodded. “Thanks, Rose, but I’m fine. I promise.” She looked at me, as if to tell me that she didn’t fully believe that.

“Well, alright, Rachel,” she let it go. “Just speak up if you aren’t okay?”

“Yeah,” I smiled. I then looked ahead of me and walked on.

Glancing back though, I couldn’t find Hurley. “Hey, Rose, I’m going to find Hurley,” I told her as I began walking back. 

“Want me to go with you?”

“No thanks. I’ll be fine.”

When I eventually found Hurley, he was alone. “What are you doing, man?” I asked him.

“I’m looking for a van,” he told me. “Wanna help?” He outstretched his arms.

I stepped closer to him. “Uh, sure.”

As we walked, he kept talking. “You weren’t there when we found it. Well—you were, but you and Kate went into the jungle. Anyway, Jin and I, we found this overturned van. There was this skeleton dude named Rodger. Anyway, we’re trying to get this van fixed up when Sawyer and eventually Charlie come to help. By the end of it, we push the van down a hill and it starts working.”

“Sounds like on hell of a time. I’m sorry I missed it.”

“Yeah, well it was kind of a bro day, so-“

I laughed. “Yeah. Okay, sure.”

Pretty soon, we found the van. It had a white top with an blue body. A DHARMA logo was placed at its front between two circular headlights. The doors were just above the tires.

“Dude,” I said, walking around it. “It reminds me of one of those hippie vans or something, or whatever you call it.”

Hurley looked at the keys before glancing at me and smiling. “Wanna learn how to drive?”

I looked at him shocked. “R-Really?”

“Yeah, come on, hop in the driver's seat.” He gestured to the seat on the left side of the vehicle. I climbed in feeling a bit weird. I was so used to the driver’s seat being on the other side. Once he got into the car, he said, “The keys are already in the ignition. You just need to turn the key to the left.”

Once I did, the engine purred. “Okay,” I said a little panicked with my hands on the wheel. “What now?”

“Okay, by your right foot, there’s a fat pedal, and there’s a thin pedal. Can you feel them?”

My foot reached out to find the thin pedal. I pressed on it slightly. The car moved forward with a large jolt. Immediately, I stopped pressing down.

“Okay,” Hurley huffed. “So you found the gas pedal. The other one’s the breaks. And obviously, you’re holding the steering wheel. Keep your hands on ten and two, like the clock.”

Soon, I started to get the hang of this and we headed towards the beach.

Once there, I found Tom and Ryan just standing there. “Eat shit, Ryan!” I shouted as I rammed the van into him. Tom dove out of the way. Hurley and I felt Ryan’s body go under the vehicle. “Wooo!” I shouted with excitement. I glanced over at Hurley to find him holding onto the handle bar above him.

As I turned around, I saw Sawyer pick a handgun off the ground and position himself against the van. Just as he jumped out in front of the vehicle to shoot, Sayid messed with the guards stance and twisted his neck with his feet.

Hurley and I got out of the van. Everyone else was a bit shocked at Sayid’s actions. I saw Tom crawl toward another gun, but Juliet grabbed it and aimed it at the man. She also stepped on his hand, causing him to call out in pain.

The fertility doctor pointed the weapon at Tom’s head and told him, “Stay right there, Tom.”

The Other turned to Sawyer and said weakly, “Okay, I give up.” 

The blonde con man stared at him for a moment. Next, he shot him, causing Juliet to get jumpscared. “That’s for taking the kid off the raft,” Sawyer spat.

Walt.

“Dude,” said Hurley, walking over to him. “It was over, he surrendered.”

“I didn’t believe him,” Sawyer stated.

Then, Hurley spotted a walkie talkie and grabbed it. “Wait,” I unnecessarily whispered. “What are you doing?”

“I’m contacting the Others,” Reyes told me. I blinked. As to why he would do that, I had no idea. Glancing at the other adults, they all shrugged.

“Attention Others,” Hurley announced into the walkie. “Come in, Others. If you're listening in, I want you to know that we got you bastards. And, unless the rest of you wanna be blown up, you best stay away from our beach-“

“Hurley?” We heard Jack’s voice on the other line. The six of us exchanged shocked glances.

“Jack?” Hugo asked excitedly.

“Where are you, what's going on?”

“Dude, Rachel and I are back at the beach.”

“What?”

“Yeah, I went back to help Juliet and Sawyer. Rachel followed me, and then we—we saved them.”

“They’re OK? Juliet and-“

“Everyone's fine. Me, Sawyer, Juliet, Sayid, Jin, Bernard. We're all—“

“What, wait. Bernard and Jin and Sayid, they're with you?!”

“Yeah dude. We saved ‘em all.” We heard everyone shout with joy.

“Hey, stay where you are, we're almost up to the tower. You'll be safer there.”

“Yeah, I got ya, we'll stay put until you, like, phone home.”

“What about Charlie?” That was Claire’s voice. Oh, shoot! Where is he? “Is he back yet?”

“Not yet,” Hurley answered. “But they're probably paddling home as we speak. Don't worry, I'm sure he's fine.”

The rest of us, save for Bernard, wanted to get rid of the bodies that now littered our shore. Our shore. That might not be the case in the near future, if everyone else succeeded.

Then, I heard Hurley shout, “Seriously?! It worked?!”

Well, that answers my question.

As Sawyer, Sayid, Juliet and I piled up the cadavers, we spotted Desmond on Alex’s boat. Everyone started asking all these questions. It almost seemed overwhelming until Hurley shouted, “WHERE’S CHARLIE?!?!”

Everyone stopped. “I’m-I’m sorry, brother,” Desmond told him in a downbeat tone. “I-“ he nearly choked up.

Oh, gods. Charlie’s dead. Isn’t he?

“But Uh, right before he died,” Desmond paused. “He wrote something on his hand. ‘Not Penny’s boat.’”

Penny, like Desmond’s girlfriend Penny? Oh shit. Penny Widmore didn’t send Naomi. Charles Widmore did. That boat was filled with mercenaries.


	44. Separation

The seven of us, me, Hurley, Jin, Sawyer, Sayid, Desmond, Juliet, and Bernard, stood there wondering what to do.

“Look,” said Sawyer after many moments of silence. “We gotta call the doc.”

Sayid gave him a look which seemed to silently ask him if he was serious. “Did you listen to Desmond?” He then pointed to his hand. “Charlie wrote on his hand-“

“Look, I'm sorry he's dead. But I don't even know what the hell ‘not Penny's boat’ means,” Sawer told him.

“Obviously it means that instead of a rescue party, it’s those mercenaries I told you about,” I told him, trying not to give him a bitch face.

Bernard looked at me with shock. “And when were you going to tell the _rest_ of the camp about this?”

“Listen,” said Sayid. “Calling Jack accomplishes nothing.”

“It would accomplish warning him,” Juliet pointed out. 

Sayid put something in his bag and said, “It also means warning the people on the freighter that we're suspicious of them. I've no doubt they're monitoring our communications, if we call Jack-“

“You know what?” Asked Sawyer, sitting up straighter. “I got the walkie, I'm making the call.” Suddenly, Hurley grabbed the walkie out of his hands and chucked it into the sea. “Hey!” Sawyer angrily turned to the long haired man.

“We better get going,” Hurley deflected the anger. I could see in his eyes that he was hurt very deeply by Charlie’s death. I mean, we all were. Well, except for Juliet, but still. Each of us knew Charlie on different levels. But the facts stay the same. Most of the time, he was great to have at camp.

“Going where?!” Sawyer shouted. “The hell’s gotten into you, man?!”

“You don’t wait with warnings, dude,” Hurley told us. “You warn.” 

True. I shrugged. 

“I’ve asked Jack and everyone else to rendezvous with us at the cockpit section of the plane,” Hurley told us.

We then divided up the guns. Luckily, there were enough for all of us. Us seven trekked into the jungle.

Night had darkened the sky. Sayid walked in front with Jin, Desmond, and myself trailing not too far behind. Juliet, Bernard, Hugo and Sawyer were behind us. Sawyer tried to get Hurley to talk to him about Charlie, but Hugo deflected him.

Soon, we arrived at the nose section of the plane. It was then that we realized Hurley wasn’t with us.

“Where’d he go?” I wondered out loud.

“Hey, maybe we should go out and search for him,” Bernard suggested.

“I don’t think that would be wise,” Sayid told him. “It’s easier to lose your way in the dark.”

A few minutes later, Hurley emerged. “Where the hell have you been, Hugo?” Sawyer asked him with his arms outstretched.

“Sorry, I was just—er,” his eyes darted away for a moment. “I got lost.”

Soon, Locke arrived from behind the trees. I almost aimed my weapon at him. It seemed Sayid shared my sentiment. “What are you doing here?” The Iraqi questioned the man as if he wasn’t welcome here.

“I came here for the same reason you did,” Locke told us. “To warn Jack about the people on that boat. I already gave it a shot, but, I figured I might have better luck with some support.”

Sayid stepped towards him. “You want my support? You can tell me why you destroyed that submarine.”

Voices interrupted our conversation. Alarmed, we all aimed our weapons in their general direction. After a few seconds, nothing happened. Then, the rest of the Crashies arrived.

 _“Jinsu!”_ Sun shouted as she ran to him. The two embraced.

There were happy reunions all around. Well, all except for two. Desmond moved to tell Claire what happened to Charlie, but Hugo stopped him and told her himself. I watched with a frown as they hugged and sobbed. Soon, everyone else noticed that Charlie wasn’t here.

“What, what happened?” inquired a distraught Claire. “I mean, how, how did he-“

“He tried to help us,” Hurley told her.

Everyone stood there in silence, as Rousseau and Ben arrived. My brows creased as I studied the scene more. Rousseau. She held onto the rope which tied Ben’s hands together. The dude’s face was all bloody and stuff. Glancing around, I found Alex here too. The two of them must have gone to the tower or something. 

I heard the sound of someone punching another. Turning around, I found that it was Jack who landed his fist onto Locke’s face. Locke tried to grab his gun, but Jack got it from his hands. He cocked the weapon.

“Jack-“ Juliet tried.

“You’re not gonna shoot me, Jack,” Locke told him. “Any more than I was gonna shoot-“ Jack pulled the trigger, but nothing happened. “It’s not loaded.”

Jack attacks Locke. Sawyer and Sayid moved to pull him away. “Come on,” Sawyer told the doctor.”

“Let go of me!” Jack struggled. “Do you know what he did?”

Sayid shouted, “Yes, I know what he did!” 

Locke stood and voiced, “All I did, all I have ever done, has been in the best interest of all of us.

Jack gave him a look which asked him if he was serious. “Are you insane?!”

Loke placed his hands on his hips. “I know I... I have a lot of explaining to do. But, I never did anything to hurt any of you. I even risked my life to tell you there was a traitor in your midst.” He pointed to Juliet.

“She helped us, John,” Jack pointed out. “All you ever did was blow up every chance we had of getting off of this island. You killed Naomi.”

Oh. That’s what he did.

“Well, technically, he didn't kill her, yet,” Ben told us.

Kate emerged from the trees and told everyone, “Yes, he did.” Everyone else turned around to see her. “She just died. She didn't give you up, John. She covered for us, and she fixed this.” The woman then handed the satellite phone to Jack. “They're on their way.”

Locke shook his head. “She didn't cover for anyone. She wants her people to come here. And trust me, when they do, we had better be far away from here. I'm going to the Barracks. The Others abandoned them. It's the only place on the Island with any form of security right now, it'll have to do until I can think of something else. Until then, if you wanna live, you need to come with me.”

Jack huffed a laugh as he briefly glanced down at the ground. “No one's going anywhere with you, John. Because they're not crazy.”

“He's not crazy,” Hurley told us, glancing around. “What about Charlie? Charlie went down to that place so we could all be rescued. And whatever he did down there, it worked. But then something must have happened. He must have heard something before he... I don't know why, but he changed his mind. Because the last thing he did was to warn us that the people on that boat are not who they said they were. So I'm not listening to you. I'm listening to my friend. I'm listening to Charlie.” Reyes then went to stand with Locke

“Anyone else?” Asked Locke. “There isn't much time.” Soon, Claire, and Rousseau joined him.

“Jack,” said Ben as he was being pulled along by Danielle. “With your permission, I'd like to go with John.”

“He's all yours,” the doctor stated.

Once Rousseau and Ben joined Locke, so did Alex and Karl. Bernard and Rose briefly discussed it, but ultimately decided they didn’t trust Locke enough. Then Sawyer moved to join them.

Kate stepped towards the con man and asked him, “What are you doing?”

Sawyer turned towards her and said, “Same thing I've always done, Kate. Surviving.” He then officially stepped over to Locke’s side. Fittingly, it began to rain.

“You know where to find us when you change your mind,” Locke decreed as he and his group went off.

The rest of us looked at each other. Then, Jack nodded. “Okay,” he breathed out. “We should get back to our camp. The boat will probably be arriving soon.”

I felt so conflicted. I knew that if I stayed on the beach, I was probably going to die. But Locke was so untrustworthy at the moment. I hated his guts, but it made so much sense. 

Damn it all! I made up my mind. Once we got back to camp, I packed a bunch of pairs of clothing.

Just when I thought that I was going to slip away, Kate’s voice stopped me. “Really?” She asked me. I turned to see her standing there with her arms crossed.

“Yes, Kate, really.” I gave her a weak smile. “I hope that we’ll be able to see each other again.”

I then headed off through the forest in the dead of night. Nothing and no one to keep me company.

As I came upon the now destroyed Flame station, I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching me. Turning around, I nearly yelped. A man with black hair, who I’ve seen hang around Ben, stood right in front of me. I aimed my rifle at him.

“Hello, Rachel,” he said with his hands up. “I’m Richard. Or rather, Ricardo, as you will come to know me. We haven’t had a chance to talk yet, but now, I have something to ask you.”

I aimed my weapon at him. “And what makes you think I’ll answer?”

He smiled, though I couldn’t tell if it was a nervous smile or if it was genuine. “Has the black smoke spoken with you yet?”

My brows creased. I played dumb. “What, you mean that smoke thing can talk?”

He sighed before cursing in Spanish under his breath. Then he muttered, “He’s jumping the gun.” Noticing my gaze, he said, “I can tell that you’re lying.”

“How?”

He shrugged. “I just can.” He then gave me a serious glance. “Which forms has he taken? And don’t lie.”

“My father, Elena, Shannon, and just recently, my brother.” Neither of my hands let go of the weapon. “Now tell me, why are you asking me those things?”

He avoided my inquiry with another. “Have you seen any spirits lately?” For a little while, I neglected to answer. “Rachel, you can tell me.”

“My dad, Elena, Shannon, my mom, and Eko. Again,” I said as I stepped closer to him. “Why?”

“Because,” he nearly smiled. “Your future is my past. I have been waiting about a century for you to come to this island again. I'm trying to help you.”

My eyes widened with shock and horror as I backed away. How?! How the fuck?! What’s going on?!

Sensing my great unease, he said, “Rachel-“ in a calming tone, but I interrupted him.

“Stay the hell away from me,” I told him as I resumed my course back to the Barracks.

Once I caught up with the group, it was light out. I saw them gathering water by the stream. Alex’s eyes immediately locked with mine. She handed her water bottle to Karl before running up to me.

“Rachel!” She said excitedly as she hugged me.

I smiled. “Hey, Alex.” The two of us walked towards the rest of the group.

“Hey, Rachel,” Locke greeted with a slight smile. “I’m glad you could join us.”

“Yeah, well, I didn’t exactly feel safe on the beach anymore.” I then knelt down and took my pack off. Taking a nearly empty water bottle out, I filled it back up with the stream.

“Hey, Rachel?” I glanced up to find Claire standing next to me. She held little Aaron in a sling. “I just wanted to say thank you for giving me Charlie’s ring.” Her eyes were about to tear up.

“It’s my pleasure,” I told her before greeting Aaron. He smiled at me.

After all our water bottles were filled up, we resumed course, unaware of the dangers yet to come.


	45. Day Ninety-Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While traveling, Locke’s group finds a woman who just disconnected from her parachute.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've reached season four, folks.

We’ve been walking for a few hours. Locke told us about some cabin in the woods after he stood in pouring rain acting as if he were taking orders from a Deity. Honestly? I questioned its existence. Even so, everyone followed him. I hung around the back keeping to myself. Five other Crashies had joined us. They spoke quietly around me. With my rifle I kept an eye out for if anyone followed. So far, no one yet.

The only thing that I thought was for certain, was that the Walt who told Locke to do all these things was actually the smoke monster. So what am I doing here? The barracks are a safe place. I’m not passing up the chance to be in my father’s house again.

Sawyer though? He was beginning to become fed up with Locke’s detour. I couldn’t exactly hear them, but it seemed as though the con man had a problem with a child, who’s supposed to be off the island, giving orders to Locke. And Frankly? Who wouldn’t? Locke almost sounds nuts. Then, the bald man showed us his gunshot wound. It went straight through his body. He’d “probably be dead if he still had a kidney there.”

Things only escalated from there. When we stopped for another refile, Ben tried to speak with his ‘Daughter.’ “Alex,” he said while being tied to a tree. “Alex,” he tried again. “Hey.”

“What?” Alex asked him rudely.

“There’s something I need to tell you.”

Karl stood and told the man, “Keep your mouth shut, Mr. Linus.”

To that, Ben sarcastically remarked, “Karl. Now, if you’re gonna sleep with my daughter, I insist you call me Ben.”

Karl almost looked like he was going to shoot the guy, but Sawyer of all people intervened. The blonde placed a hand on the teen’s shoulder. “Easy, kid,” he said as Karl turned towards him. “Guy’s just trying to get in your head. Go take a walk or something.”

Karl walked away, collecting water in a bottle before walking off. Alex joined him. I didn’t pay much attention to what was said then, but after that, Sawyer began violently attacking the Other. No one really moved to stop him. Well, except for Locke. Yet, that was only because Sawyer pulled his gun on the guy.

“James! Don’t!” Locke shouted as he ran over to them.

“Don’t what?!” Sawyer asked loudly. “Anyone wanna tell me why we’re keeping this guy alive?”

“We’re keeping him because he’s been on this island longer than any of us. Because he has information we need. And because apart from his mouth, he’s completely harmless.”

“His mouth put that hole in your gut?”

Without hesitation and without emotion, the bald man told him, “Okay, James. Let’s execute him right here, right now, in front of his daughter.”

We could see Sawyer begin to back down, but he tried to reason with the man. “It’s only a matter of time before he gets us, Johnny, and I bet he’s already figured out how he’s gonna do it. So  _ you _ walk him.” He then handed Locke Ben’s leash.

We then set off again.

As we came upon the river that separates us from a cliff, we couldn’t help but notice a parachute tangled in an overhanging branch. Then, we saw the woman. “Hi,” she said cautiously. She had lighter red hair than me.

“Hey yourself,” Locke stated.

One of us helped her out of the water. “Who are you people?” she asked us. We glanced at each other. She sounded English.

Eventually, it was decided that we would tell her that we were all on Oceanic 815. Of course, we withheld certain information from her. 

“I can’t believe you’re alive,” she said as she sat on a log surrounded by a semicircle of humans. “How many of you are there?”

“Why do you wanna know?” Hurley asked as he stood by a tree. 

She turned towards him with a confused look. “Why wouldn’t I want to know?”

Hurley glanced at me. I shrugged. Then, he shifted his weight before telling her, “Forty-eight of us survived the crash, that’s not counting the tail-section. They’re pretty much all dead now…”

“Hugo-” Locke began to say as if he was about to reprimand the big lug. 

“So,” the woman still tried to wrap her head around it. “You’ve all been living here this entire time?” She then looked at Claire. “Is that your baby?”

Claire nodded and moved her son’s blanket around a little bit. “Yeah. This is Aaron.”

“Did you have him here on the island?” The Australian nodded and hummed in affirmation. The woman then smiled. “That’s amazing.” She then stood. “Well, I’ve got about a million more questions I want to ask you back at the freighter. We all got one of these transponders.” She fiddled with the blinking device strapped to her shoulder. “SO if we just sit tight, they’re gonna be here soon, okay?” 

Oh, honey, you have no idea what we know. There’s no way these people are going to stay here.

“This team of yours,” Locke brought up. “How many of you are there?”

“Four, including me,” she said, turning to him.

“And what happened to your helicopter?”

“I dunno. The pilot was trying to put it down.”

“Where?”

She shrugged. “I dunno. I had to jump. It was chaos. I’m lucky to be alive.”

“Alright.” Locke stepped closer to her. “You’re coming with us.”

Her brows creased and her mouth hung agape. “Wh-what? We need to stay here so they can find us.”

“See, there’s your problem. We don’t wanna be found.”

“What do you mean?”

“Technically?” I said, grabbing my rifle and standing up. “It’s complicated.”

As we kept walking on, we eventually saw someone shoot up a flare.

“That’s them,” said the woman as we came towards the top of a hill. “That’s somebody from my team.” Most of us looked at her unimpressed. She only got more confused. “What’s wrong with you people? We’re here because of you. I just almost died jumping out of a helicopter because you called us for help.”

“Maybe we should go see who launched that flare,” Hurley suggested.

“Yeah,” Claire agreed. “I mean, they could be hurt, John.”

“She’s lying,” Locke concluded. “And whatever they came for, it wasn’t us. We keep moving forwards as planned.”

“Sure!” Sawyer sarcastically stated with enthusiasm. “Who are we to argue with taller ghost Walt?”

That question probably sounded crazy to this newcomer. “You know what?” She asked us. “You people do whatever you want.” She then tried to leave.

Locke blocked her, saying, “I want you to come with us.”

She looked almost offended. “I'm not asking for permission, and if you think you're gonna bloody stop me from getting to my-!”

Out of nowhere, she was hit with two bullets. I glanced around to find Karl searching for his gun and Ben holding such a weapon. Sawyer saw this as a chance to beat Ben again while Locke tended to the woman.

“What did you do, you son of a bitch?” Sawyer angrily questioned the Other while he punched him.

I glanced over at the woman to find her lips moving. Seeing this, my brows furrowed. She must be wearing a bulletproof vest. Locke unzipped her coat to find two bullets caught by the vest.

The sound of Sawyer throwing Ben against a tree brought my eyes to them. “James, listen to me, please!” Ben shouted.

“Keep your mouth shut!” Sawyer ordered. Next, Locke walked over to the two of them. “I guess this is the part where I'm supposed to say I told you so.”

“James,” Locke voiced. “I stand corrected.”

“You want me to do it?” We knew he meant to kill him. 

Locke shook his head. “No, it’s my mess. I’ll clean it up.” With that, Sawyer gave him his gun.

“No, wait!” Alex shouted.

“Danielle, you should escort Alex away from here,” Locke suggested.”

As the French woman placed her arms around her daughter in an effort to move her, Alex resisted. “No, no!”

“Come on,” Rousseau urged. “Let’s go, Alex.”

Karl and I saw fit to go with them. “She’s right,” Karl voiced. “Let’s go.”

Then suddenly, we heard a shout. “Her name is Charlotte Lewis! Charlotte Staples Lewis. Born July second, nineteen seventy-nine, Essex, England. Parents David and Jeanette. Eldest of three, all girls. She was raised in Bromsgrove. Did her undergraduate studies at Kent. Took her PhD in Cultural Anthropology at Oxford. She's here with two other team members and a pilot. Their names: Daniel Faraday, Miles Straume, and Frank Lapidus.”

The four of us glanced between each other as we stopped. Ben continued, “Your instinct was right, John. These people are a threat, and if you shoot me you'll never know how great a threat they were. Because I know what they're doing here. I know what they want.”

“What  _ do _ they want?” Sawyer questioned.

“Me, James. They want me.”

Locke pointed a gun to the Other’s head. “How do you know all this?”

“Because I have a man on their boat.”

After a long while of walking, Locke stopped at what looked like a line of ash. I wondered if that line was from a volcano eruption that happened long ago. But nothing else, save for a few trees, was there.

“Hey John?” Claire piped up. “How much further is it? I need to feed Aaron.”

“It  _ should _ be here, the cabin,” Locke told us.

“Maybe we got turned around,” Hurley suggested. “It could be anywhere.”

“No,” Locke forcefully denied. “It was here.”

“Well, what’s in this cabin that’s so important anyway?” Sawyer asked.

“John’s looking for someone to tell him what to do next,” Ben told him. This earned a glare from Locke.

“Can we go to the Barracks now?” I asked, almost impatiently.

“Yes, Rachel,” he glanced down at the ground while stepping closer to the group. “I guess I was mistaken. It doesn't matter, the plan's the same. We keep moving. The Barracks aren't far.”

Before we began walking again, Danielle stated, “If her team is with Jack's group, they know we're going to the Barracks.”

“Yeah,” Sawyer stated. “And Red here was wearing a vest. Which means her posse's gonna come expecting themselves a gun fight.”

“If all they want is her,” Hurley spoke up. “Maybe we should just let her go? I mean, I thought we were just gonna go hide. Why do we need to take prisoners?”

“We’re keeping her because she’s going to be valuable,” Locke told him.

Concerned and confused, Hurley asked, “How is she going to be valuable?”

“He means a hostage, love,” Charlotte spoke.

The big man shook his head. “Nuh uh, no, that's not what I signed up for.”

“What  _ did _ you sign up for, Hurley?” Locke inquired.

“Look, I'm just saying that if we let her go, they'll look at it as a sign of good faith.”

“They'll look at it as an act of foolishness, which is what it would be.”

“I'm just trying to come up with some kind of compromise-“

“We're beyond compromise. And right now, Hugo, I'm making the decisions. Is that going to be a problem for you?”

To throw Charlotte’s people off, Locke decided to put her gps thing onto Vince t and let him roam free. No one objected, even though I thought it was sad that he would be leaving us.

Once we got back to the barracks, I went straight to the house, uninterested, as others were, in Locke’s little plan for when people and possibly Jack came looking for us.

However, peeking from my window through the curtain, I found Sayer, Kate, and a man who must have been on Charlotte’s team. They went into the house where Hurley was ‘tied up.’ I then saw them go into Ben’s house. Then, I saw Charlotte’s friend be taken somewhere by Rousseau. Then she went back for Sayid. Kate stayed in the house.

As I sat in one of the swings with my sketchbook, I noticed Sayid taking Charlotte away. Once he saw me, he said, “Rachel,” as if saying a quick greeting to me.

Then, I knew. Once this was over, things weren’t going to go back to the way they were.


	46. The Four Toed Statue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel has a dream and decided to explore.

From the sky, I saw this ship. It was being pulled to the island by a violent storm. As a gigantic wave brought it closer and closer, it crashed into a giant statue of an Egytian Deity. It’s head was that of a hippopotamus. It held two of the same symbol at its side, almost like a cross, but with a loop on the top. But the boat made it crack and crumble as it crashed into the stone. When the wave had fully washed over the island, all that was left of the statue was its four toed foot. The ship, known as the Black Rock, had been carried by the wave to the other side of the island. There, I saw someone killing all the slaves. Then, the smoke monster intervened. 

I woke up with a start. My chest heaved as I sat there for a small moment. Next, with a burst of energy, I grabbed my father’s notebook and scanned through its contents, knowing that he mentioned the statue at some point. Forty pages in, I found it.

_“I found this weird statue on the shore today. It only had four toes. It’s a day or so walk from the barracks where I used to live. It’s south of the Staff and near Horizontal to the Flame. The Swan is south of it. The stone has this grey color to it. I imagine it was quite tall before something rammed into it. Of course, I can only assume something rammed into it because of the way the top of the shin looks. It’s rough, not smooth. The rest of the statue remains to be seen.”_

With that knowledge, I packed a few things and walked out. While walking through the barracks, I found Alex and Karl speaking to each other on a porch. We smiled and waved to each other. 

“Hey, wait, where’re you going?” Alex projected.

“Just for a long walk,” I told her. “I wanted to check something out. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.” I adjusted the strap on my rifle.

“Any idea when you’ll be back?” 

“A day or so, I think.”

“Okay, be careful.”

“Bye!” shouted Karl.

“I will. See ya!” 

With that, I headed towards the front gate. Looking to my left, I found Kate, Claire, and Sawyer speaking with each other. Then, Claire and Aaron went inside. As I approached the gate, I saw Locke come out of his house. He was right near the rec room and orientation house. The security building was right across the path. 

“Hey, Rachel,” he greeted once he saw me. Walking over to me, he crossed his arms and asked, “Where’re you headed?”

“There’s something that I wanted to check out. I’ll only be a couple of days.” I really didn’t want to deal with this guy right now. I knew he would let me go, even though I hoped that I wouldn’t see him. 

“Where is it?”

This is a waste of time. “On the coast. Somewhere North of where the Swan used to be.”

He noticed that I had my rifle and a backpack with me. “Well then, who am I to stop you? If you see any of Charlotte’s group, find out what you can about them, alright?” He then stepped aside.

Huh. Jack would have wanted someone to go with me. I hopped over the gate and was on my way. 

Once I got there, I almost couldn’t believe it. The foot was larger than expected, and was even on a small pedestal. Walking closer to it, I smiled. There really were only four toes. Looking up, I imagined what it looked like in its full form based on my dream. A hippo’s head with a human body and a skirt, holding the symbol at its side.

Next, I looked out at the beach. Crystal blue waters. First, I set my things down. Then, I took my shirt, pants, socks and shoes off, wanting to go for a swim. I had been wearing a swimsuit under my clothes for the past few days. The water felt nice. It was strange to realize that I’ve been stuck here for ninety three-ish days and haven’t swam in the ocean. 

Getting out of the water, I found Richard there. He stood by the statue with a towel. “What, are you stalking me now?” I asked him.

I could tell that he almost wanted to smile. “Your future is my past, remember?” He asked, holding out the towel. “You told me where you were at certain points.”

“I’ll believe that when it happens,” I told him, crossing my arms. Even though he was gesturing for me to take the towel, I didn’t want to take it.

“Just take it,” he told me. “It doesn’t have chloroform, or anything like that.” I sighed and took the material from his hands. As I dried myself off, he commented, “Strange statue, isn’t it?” I glanced at him to see the guy studying it.

“You should have seen it when it was fully there,” I told him. 

He nodded. “Oh, I have.” 

I blinked, pausing my actions for just a moment. “You have?”

“I was on a slave ship, you see. I managed to get a look at it before the ship crashed into its head.”

I thought back to my dream. “You were?”

He studied me for a moment. Gesturing towards me, he asked, “Have you seen it?”

“Only in dreams.” As I put my clothes back on, I asked him, “What are you doing here?” I then put on my bag and rifle.

With his hand holding his wrist, he said, “I knew you wouldn’t believe just words, so I wanted to show you something.” He then turned around and walked on.

“And why would I go with you?”

He stopped and turned his head towards me. “Because, you’re curious, like your father.”

We wandered through the jungle for a very long while. The sky had begun to darken, so Richard made torches and pressed on. It was almost pitch black when we stopped.

“Here we are,” he said as he squatted down. Noticing that I was just standing there, he motioned for me to come forward. “Come on, you need to see this.”

Cautiously, I stepped forward. The light from the torch showed a grave-cross. Next, he encouraged me to read who was buried there. My eyes widened. 

No. 

This couldn’t be. 

I refuse to accept it. 

“This is fake,” I decided, backing away from him. “What game are you playing at here?”

“What?” he asked, standing up with the torch. “Just because it has your name on it, you refuse to believe? Rachel, I buried you myself. I even took your father to see it once. Or rather, I was with him when he discovered it.” Wide eyed, I stared at him while he continued speaking. “You can’t run from this, Rachel. It’s going to happen at some point in your life.”

I shook my head. “No, it’s not.” No. One way or another, I’m going to get off this island. I have to now. Even if this team that just arrived were mercenaries, I’d wait for someone else.

Then again, that might never come.

When Richard started speaking with me again, I couldn’t listen anymore. I had to run away. I had to get out of there.

I had been running for a while now, somehow knowing that Richard wouldn’t run after me. As I stopped to catch my breath, I couldn’t help but notice that I was back at the beach. Right in the middle of camp.

Soon, those who were still awake, began to notice me. “Guys, it’s Rachel.” “Rachel’s back!” 

Jack, now out of his tent, asked, “Where’ve you been?”

I peered at him strangely. “What, did Kate not tell you?” It was his turn to look at me weirdly. “I went to go join Locke.”

“Have you seen Kate?” Sun asked as she and Jin walked up to me.

“I have,” I told her, causing others to murmur. “She’s with Sawyer and Claire. Everyone else is safe.”

“What about Miles?” Charlotte asked me. She stood to the side with another person who must have been on her team. I then realized that Miles was the man that Sayid and Kate walked in with. 

“I’m sorry,” I told her. “I don’t know.”

“Rachel,” Jack said as if he was reprimanding me for lying.

I sighed, glancing between Jack and the ‘rescue team.’ “If I had to guess, he’s under the welcoming building. I heard that there was a basement down there where they sometimes keep people.”

I chose not to tell them that I knew this because of my father’s notebook.

“What were you running from?” Jack asked me.

“What?” I asked, confused as to why he would ask this.

“You’re still catching your breath, so you must have been running pretty hard.” His observation made others quiet down. “Did Locke do something you didn’t agree with?”

“No.” I shook my head. “Not yet, anyway.”

The doctor stepped closer. “So then why are you here?”

“The black smoke chased me, alright?” I lied, giving him a glare. I then began walking towards my tent. “Good night.”

“What did she mean by black smoke?” I heard an unfamiliar male voice. I figured he must be the man from Charlotte’s team. Jack gave him no cause for concern.

For now, I’d rest here. In the morning, I’d travel back.


	47. Back to The Barracks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Rachel makes her way back, she has a strange encounter.

In the morning, I didn’t feel quite ready to leave the beach. To stall, I looked through my dad’s diary. If what Richard said was true, then it should be here. Last time I looked through it, I could have sworn to have read something about a grave.

Oh! I found it!

_ “Today, Richard and I stumbled upon a rather interesting spot. I was the one who called it out to him, but when he saw it, he seemed to know it. So I asked him about who’s grave it was. He told me, and I quote, “she was a very interesting girl. A bright, fun, amazing person.” I couldn’t get much more out of him than that. I couldn’t shake the feeling that he knew her way before he knew anyone else on this island.” _

I stopped. What? What the heck??

I sighed, knowing that I wouldn’t get much answers from just sitting around here.

I walked up to the kitchen for some breakfast. Most people stared at me, including the members of the ‘rescue group.’ The man even walked up to me as I poured cereal into a bowl.

After he stood there for a minute until I asked him, “What do you want?” as I grabbed a spoon.

“You mentioned a black smoke?” he asked. He had short brown hair, brown eyes of the same hue, and a beard. He had a blue shirt on with a tie.

“Yeah,” I nodded, eating a spoonful of DHARMA cereal. “What about it?”

“You said it was chasing you? As in it was alive?” 

I looked at him with a straight face. “Yes.”

He placed his hands on his hips. “How is that even possible?”

I smiled and glanced down at the sand for a moment. “You’re asking the wrong person... ?” I gave him questioning eyes.

“Oh, Daniel,” he said, holding out his hand.

“I’m Rachel,” I said, shaking it. I then ate more of my breakfast. “Rachel Carraway.” He smiled. “What?”

“Like the plant or the character?” He asked me. I gave him a confused look. Before going to the ocean to wash my dishes. He followed, saying, “I mean the spice plant, or the character from the Great Gatsby.”

I nodded, saying, “Oh, yeah, um, I knew about the character, just not about the plant.” I then crouched down at the shore, placing the objects into the sea.

“Oh, uh. The uh plant makes the spice Cumin, but it’s flower is the symbol of enlightenment. I only know that because I had a friend who was really into plants and flowers.”

I semi-shrugged before nodding again as I stood. “Oh, cool.” I then remembered Locke requesting that I find out whatever I can. Which, I will, but there’s no way I’m telling Locke for free. “So, what did you do before this?” I gestured to the beach.

“Oh, I was uh, physicist and a professor.”

I nodded. Maybe if I helped this guy out, I might be able to prolong my death for a little while before eventually going to the past or something. “Figure out the electromagnetism yet?” 

His brows creased before his eyes studied the sand. “Not really, no.”

“Then I’m guessing you would have liked to know about The Swan.” 

His head perked up. “What’s that?”

“There was this initiative here, called DHARMA. They had these stations set up all over the island. But the Swan, which is just a hole in the ground now, it was in charge of—I don’t exactly remember—but every one hundred and eight minutes, you had to enter a code, which by the way is cursed if you use it anything else. And, the timer would reset. But if you missed it, this electromagnetic charge would go off. That’s what made the plane crash here.”

He stared at me as if he were ready to take notes. “Fascinating. Can you take me there?” 

Come on, I’m not going to make it that easy. “Didn’t you hear me say it was a hole in the ground? Anyway, Desmond turned on the fail safe, and it discharged a whole lot of electromagnetic energy. It made the sky purple, and made everyone’s ears ring. And that’s all I know.”

“Well, uh, thank you. For that. I’ll try and remember.”

I smiled. “What were the other members of your team before this—if you don’t mind me asking.”

“Well, Charlotte was an Anthropologist, and the guy your people have locked up… well, he talked to ghosts if you can believe it.”

My eyes widened. Then I remembered what I was originally doing. “Okay, well, it was nice talking to you. But,” I gestured to the forest. “I need to hit the road.” I gave him an apologetic smile.

We waved to each other before I placed my now clean dishes into the kitchen. Then, I gathered all of my stuff and left the beach. 

I’m pretty sure he only told me the amount that he did because we’re all going to be dead soon.

At some point in time on this island, I’m going to die.

Wow. I couldn’t get that out of my head. I mean, if my grave was made in the past, then this band of mercenaries sure as hell isn’t going to off me. Are they? Although, they might save us Crashies anyway, even though they  _ are _ here strictly here for Ben.

While walking through the woods, I came across this strange cabin. It looked old; marred by age and neglect. A line of grey ash stood in front of the building. I walked over it. Walking up to the porch, I saw candles were lit. Cautiously, I stepped inside. The door creaked.

A blonde man sat on a wooden chair close to the table. The room looked dim and dirty. Old and unused items were strewn about. Painting supplies for one. I also saw a wood burning stove, some old silk, several ropes and chairs hanging on the wall, and a chest.

“Hello Rachel,” the man said. “It’s good to see you again.”

“So people keep saying,” I stated, glancing around I found an old painting of a dog. “Why am I here?”

“They’ve told you already?” He asked, before briefly looking away. “Just like The Man in Black to ruin things,” he sighed. His eyes then returned to me. “Oh. Well, I’m Jacob.”

My eyes widened. “You’re Jacob?”

He nodded with a hum. “And I understand that you’ve just heard some troubling news.”

I stiffened. “How would you know about that?” I then shook my head. “Never mind, I don’t want to know.” I probably told him this in my future.

“Good,” said Jacob as he stood. “Because I’m actually pressed for time. And quite frankly, you are too. I’ll have Richard bring you to the Temple soon. Listen, you’re not a candidate, so that makes you safe from the Man in Black in some regard. But you  _ are _ very special.”

He then was gone. 

Feeling the presence of someone there, I turned around and aimed my rifle at the door. “Oh, hello Rachel,” said who I presumed to be the Man in Black. He didn’t take the form of my father. This person was completely new to me. He took the form of a tall man in a black suit whose hair was almost compl grey. 

I lowered my gun as he asked, “You haven’t seen Jacob around here, have you?”

“No,” I lied, walking up to him. “Can you step aside so that I can go?”

He almost rolled his eyes. “Fine.” He let me pass and I was on my way.

On my way back to the Barracks, I spotted Kate wandering around. She had a backpack with her.

“Kate?” I attempted to get her attention.

She glanced up and responded, “Rachel?” Walking towards me she asked, “Where were you?”

“Just wandering around,” I said as I stepped over to her. She held an expression that I couldn’t pin point. “Are you okay? What happened?”

“Locke kicked me out,” she sighed.

“Oh.” I averted my eyes. “Well, I’m just returning, so…” 

“Be careful,” was the last thing she said to me before walking off.

When I walked back to camp, I found Hurley walking from the Recreation room. He held two horse shoes. 

“Hurley!” I projected to get his attention. There was still one thing I needed to be sure of. The man stopped. “Do you have any idea where Miles is?”

“In the boat house,” he said defeatedly. I gave him a look. “You should know that Kate scooby-dooed me into telling her this yesterday. But I guess it’s common knowledge now.”

I smiled. “Well, thanks anyway.”

Once I got there, I opened the door to see Miles’ jaw clamping down on a grenade. “Okay,” I huffed as I closed the door and leaned on it. “I’m going to make this simple for you. Shake your head no or yes. Got it?” 

He nodded.

“Okay, good.” I shifted my weight. “Were you sent by Charles Widmore?” 

He nodded.

“Were you sent to kill us after you got Ben out?”

He nodded.

“One more question. Can you actually see the dead?”

His brows creased.

“See, I heard from someone that you  _ can _ , and well, so can I.” I stared directly into his eyes. They tried to show no emotion, but I could tell that something was there. Whether or not it was shock or something akin to recognition, I have no idea. “Ever since I came to this island. So I will ask you this once. Can you see and speak with the dead?”

He nodded.

“Good. Thank you for your time.” As I left him there, I could hear his muffled cries for help. I elected to ignore him.


	48. Captured

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, if I explain anything here, y’all’s are getting spoilers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y’know, I think this is actually my longest chapter in this fic...

A breeze shook some leaves by my window at night. I was perfectly content to just sit around and read. But that wasn’t going to happen tonight.

“Rachel?” It was Claire’s voice. I walked over to the door and opened. She held Aaron in her arms. “Locke’s called a meeting. Everyone needs to be there.” 

I sighed. “Fine.” I grabbed my bag, thinking that I might get some reading material while we had the meeting. 

When we got to Claire’s house, everyone else had gathered. They sat in the living area. Locke stood next to Miles. I chose to stand near Hurley.

“Thank you all for your patience,” Locke spoke. “I know it's taken me a few days to…” I crossed my arms. “figure out our next move, but I didn't want to do anything until I knew more about our situation. You deserve to know everything that I do, so... no more secrets. As you all know, Miles here and three of his people came to the Island about a week ago. So I brought him up from the boathouse to share with us exactly why they're here.”

Most everything Miles told the group was stuff that I already knew. They’re here for Ben. Once they get him, everyone on this island will be killed. Everyone else, however, was shocked about that last part.

In regards to the spy on the boat, however, that was new information to me. This, the Other told us himself.

“It’s Micheal,” Ben told us. Our eyes widened.

“What?” Hurley asked confused.

“My spy on the freighter,” Ben stated. “It’s Micheal.”

Sawyer shot the man a look as he sat forward. “I'm sorry. You mean the same guy that killed two women in cold blood to set this little bastard free? And then sold all of us out so he could get off the island? That Michael?”

“Yes James,” Locke sighed. “That Micheal.”

I nodded my head, remembering the bearing that Ben told Micheal to head. “That bearing you gave him when he and Walt took that boat,” I began. “Did it take him directly to the freighter?” The others glanced around, listening in.

“No,” said Ben. “It’s not.”

After the meeting, Locke walked out with Miles. Sawyer followed. Then, others began filing out. I joined Alex, and Karl as they played with Aaron. The baby cooed, making a few of us smile.

As the three of us walk out of the house, Ben follows. “Alex!” He called out. Alex and Karl turn around immediately. I do so with a huff. I then spotted Danielle walk closer to us. “May I have a word with you?”

“I think we’ve heard enough from you for one night,” Rousseau stated.

“I’m sorry,” the man said without emotion. “You're just gonna have to listen to a little more.”

Alex looked towards her mother and told her, “It’s okay.” She then faced Ben. “What do you want?”

He took a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to me. I unfolded it, finding a map. “This is a map to the Temple,” he explained. “It’s a sanctuary. It may be the last safe place on this island.”

“How come we don’t know about this?” Karl asked him as Alex studied the map.

“Well,” he shrugged. “It wouldn't be a sanctuary if I told everyone, would it? The rest of our people are already there. If you leave now, you can get there in a day and a half.”

“If it's safe, why don't we all go — Hurley, Claire, the baby?” I glanced up from the map. Karl raised a good point.

“Because the Temple's not for them, Karl. It's only for us.” Seriously? “These people that are coming—they know who I am, Alex. They're here to capture me. They'll kill anybody that gets in their way. If they knew who you were, that you were my daughter, they would use you to get to me. We don't have much time.”

Karl huffed. “Maybe he’s right.”

“I agree,” Rousseau nodded. “We should go.”

“These people,” Alex finally spoke. She looked right into his eyes. “You said they're dangerous. More dangerous than you?” Karl and I shared a look.

“Yes. But your mother will protect you.” He then leaned closer, lowering his voice. “Okay, now go.”

Quickly, I ran to my house to get my rifle. Danielle looked at me. “What? It’s better to have two armed people.”

Walking to the gate, I took one last look at the Barracks. Mentally, I said my goodbyes.

It was morning when we finally stopped. Rousseau took off her pack, saying, “We should stop here and drink. Two minutes, then we keep moving.”

Alex and Karl sat on a log while I elected to keep standing. I reached behind me to take out a water bottle from one of my side pockets. After I opened it, gulping down a few sips. Rousseau consulted the map.

A few seconds later, I heard a whooshing sound, then a pop. Karl’s water bottle now had a hole in it. A few whooshes later, Karl was hit near the chest with a bullet. He then fell over. A stunned Alex tried to tend to him. I couldn’t exactly hear her, but I knew she was saying Karl’s name.

Panicked, Rousseau kept calling her daughter, even jogging over to the girl. She tried to get her away from what we both knew was now a corpse. 

I aimed my rifle at where I thought the bullets were coming from and fired. I only succeeded in getting bullets fired at me. Quickly, I got to the ground and dodged.

Glancing over to the Rousseaus, I found them hiding behind a tree. Danielle had her hands cupped around Alex’s cheeks.

“I need you to listen to me,” the woman told her daughter. Alex was still mourning Karl. “I need you to take my hand. On the count of three, we’re all going to run.” She then glanced at me. I nodded, still shooting my rifle in the trajectory of the oncoming bullets.

“Can you do that with me?” Danielle asked Alex. “I love you. I love you very much, Alexandra.”

I couldn’t quite focus on them, due to the bullets. Quite frankly, I wasn’t sure I myself would get out of this. But as they made a run for it, a gunshot sounds and a bullet whizzes into Danielle’s chest, just below her right breast. She grunts and falls forward with a thud.

Alex returned to the tree. I moved to get closer to her. “Alex, we need to go,” I said to her.

But that would never happen. Hearing a rustling noise, I turned around. We couldn’t see them, but we knew they were there.

Then suddenly, Alex stood. “Wait!” She shouted, waving her arms. Wait! Don't! I'm Ben's daughter! I'm his daughter!”

They stepped forward cautiously. “And who are you?” One of them asked me.

“I’m Rachel, her friend,” I told them. The next thing I felt was someone yanking me forward. Immediately, they restrained us with zip ties. They took my things away and blindfolded us.

I wanted to speak with them, but I knew that it might get me killed. I’m not sure if I even managed to kill a few of them, I was shooting blind. If I speak, they could get angry with me.

“On your knees!” The leader demanded. He had short brown hair and was the only one without green and black face paint. “Get on your knees.” I blindly lowered myself to the ground while hearing someone push Alex to the ground.

When they removed our blindfolds, we were in front of the ultrasonic Barracks fence. A keypad stood before Alex. I felt a gun against my head. I closed my eyes for a second and gulped.

“Turn this thing off or else,” said the man.

“P-please,” Alex begged. “Don’t hurt her.” The gun pressed harder onto my head. “There’s a baby with them. Just promise me you won’t-“

For a brief second, the cold metal was away from me. A gunshot fired at the ground, jumpscaring both of us.

“Turn off the fence!” he ordered.

With a shaky hand, Alex entered in the numbers 1, 6, 2, 3. “Okay,” she said. “It’s off.” A mechanical whooshing sound could be heard as the fence deactivated. The two of us shared an uneasy look. 

Not long after, the mercenaries tried to call Ben. It rang for what must have been five minutes but he didn’t answer. Two men walked into the jungle, probably scouting places. A few moments later, we heard something blow up.

Then, the group moved inward, pushing us along. The Barracks looked empty, but I suspected that was on purpose.

“Alex,” I whispered while the mercs stood around. She stared at me. “Was that really the code?”

She glanced around before nodding, but mouthed, “panic code.” My eyes squinted trying to catch her meaning. Then I nodded, realizing that there must have been a code for if something were to go wrong.

“Hey!” one of the mercs shouted. “No talking!”

By the time those two men came back, they had Miles. The two mercs held onto him as his roped hands hung in front of him.

“What’s this?” the leader asked as the rest of the group faced them.

“We found him in some boat shed,” one of them told him. They then shoved him forward. Miles’ eyes locked with mine before he looked at Alex.

“Well, if it isn’t Miles?” the man chuckled. He then threw a walkie talkie at him. “Do me a favor, would ya? Bring this to Ben.”

Miles caught the device with a wide eyed expression and was off before anything else could be said. We traveled further inward and stopped in front of a grouping of houses. The playground wasn’t too far away. The leader stood right in front of the house that blew up.

He then spoke into the Walkie. I couldn’t exactly hear what they were saying. Then he turned to one of his own, whistling and inclining his head. I watched, panicked as Alex was brought to her feet. 

“Wait, Alex-” I tried to reach out for her, but something hit me in my side. I fell to the ground, clutching where they hit me. I glanced over to find Alex whimpering as they brought her to them.

They spoke some more, then Alex was granted some access to speak to Ben. “Dad…” she sobbed into the walkie. “They're serious. They killed Karl and my mother.”

Ben told her something I think was about having this under control.

She started pleading with him as the leader counted down from ten. “Please, daddy! Just please, please-” I began to tear up. I wanted to run over to That man, steal his gun and shoot him, but I knew that if I did that, I’d be dead. Also, one of them had a tight hold on me.

Loudly, the leader began counting. After ten seconds… 

A muffled gunshot sounded. Alex’s body hit the grass. “ALEX!!!!” I shouted, trying to run over to her. Someone held me back. “Let go of me!” I elbowed one of them in the nuts as I struggled to get away from them.

The man who held me keeled over in pain. “Grab her!” one of the others shouted.

I made it to Alex’s body to see that she was shot in the head. Tears poured down my cheeks as my knees gave out.

“Rachel!” Sawyer was near. That was his voice. Where?

A gun clicked, making me freeze.

“No don’t,” said the leader. When I turned around, I immediately scooted back in horror. “We’ll take her with us.”

“What are we doing with her?” The man with the gun in his hands asked.

“Ain’t it obvious, she can still be used as leverage.”

He gave him a confused look. “How? There’s no relation.”

“Don’t you remember a man named Sam Carraway? This is his daughter.” My eyes widened. So these were the people who killed my father. Charles Widmore wanted him dead. Probably because he didn’t return to the island, and that he was in contact with some DHARMA people. 

“Ben still needs her,” he continued. “Why? Well, I heard that there’s a special power these Carraway's possess.” He turned to me with a smug grin. My shocked gaze turned into a glare. “Ain’t that right?” Next, he shouted, “Let’s move, people!”

”Rachel!” Sawyer’s voice was more urgent.

I tried to fight their strong grip as they forced me to my feet. But they were strong, and they had weapons. A single tear fell from my eyes as I looked back towards Alex’s body. 

When we stopped, it was so the soldiers could have some water, and so that they could regroup. The sky had darkened. They sat me down on a log. One of them seemed a little kinder than the others.

“Want some?” he asked as he held a bottle of water to me.

“Who is he?” I asked, inclining my head towards the brown haired asshole.

He followed my gaze. “That’s Keamy.” Turning back to me, he said, “Now how about some water?”

“No thanks,” I told him, averting my eyes.

“Kid, you need to drink.”

“Just fall into a hole and die,” I said to him dryly.

“Ooh, feisty,” one of the others taunted. He then pointed his gun at me as he squatted down to my level. He then pointed a gun at my chest. “Just drink the damn water.”

I didn’t care about anything when I spat in his face.

“You bitch,” he said as he shot me. I fell to the ground.

“God damnit!” Keamy shouted.

The ground began to shake. Black Smoke surrounded us. I tried to breathe, to stay alive as the lightning raged on. My breaths were short. I continuously tried to suck air in and out of my system. I knew that I didn’t have very long though. The sound of trees being ripped from the earth reached my ears. 

As quickly as he came, the Black Smoke left.

  
  


I felt myself fading in and out of consciousness. With blurry vision, I thought I saw Richard walk up to me. He had my bag and my rifle with him. “Rachel?” He tried to gain my attention urgently. “Rachel, can you hear me? Come on, stay with me, here. What’s your favorite color? Rachel?” I couldn’t quite focus. “Rachel?!”

“Get away from her!!!” I heard Sawyer shout. Sawyer! What’s he doing here? And where was everyone else? I opened my eyes, trying again to just breathe and stay in the moment.

“Listen,” said Richard, standing up. My ears began to ring. “You don’t understand.”

“I think I have a pretty good idea. She’s been shot, but she ain’t dead. She’s bleeding to death, and you need to leave,” the con man stated with gritted teeth.

“Please-“

“She’s been shot near the heart! We need to get her to the doctor now!”

“And how would you know how quickly she needs medical attention?”

“I shot the marshal in the same place.”

“You shot a marshal?” Miles asked him, amazed.

“Yeah, but that ain’t important.”

“Sawyer?” I asked weakly. I would have been surprised if she even heard it.

“I’m here, little red,” said the con man. He gave his weapon to Miles and moved to pick me up. “Let’s get you up. I’ll take you to the beach so Jack can fix you up, alright?”

I made some noncommittal noise.

Before we could leave however, Richard said, “She’s not going to make it to the beach unless you can get there in two hours.”

“Then what are you suggesting?” Sawyer asked angrily. 

The dark haired man stepped forward. “Let me take her. I know someone who can heal her.”

Sawyer stood there for a moment in thought. I didn’t think that I could stay awake. “Jesus, Sawyer, just give Rachel to him!” Claire shouted. “Standing around here won’t help her and we sure as hell won’t make it back to camp in two hours! I believe him.”

Sawyer thought about it for a few more seconds. Then huffed. “Fine!” I felt the arms carrying my relinquish their hold to another person. “But once she’s okay, you tell her to come back to the beach.”

“Of course,” said Richard as he hurriedly carried me away. Somewhere along the way I lost consciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I’m actually starting to like Miles and I like that Sawyer’s sort of become this protector character.


	49. The Temple and The Tunnels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel wakes up underwater, with flashes of what happened earlier running through her head.

I woke up seeing a ceiling through the water. Strong arms lifted me up and I took in a large breath. Turning my head, I found a stone wall. Looking to my right, I found Richard. I felt the water surrounding me. His arms kept me afloat.

I coughed out some of the water that I swallowed. “Where am I?” I asked groggily. 

“You’re in the temple’s healing spring,” Richard told me.

“I’m in the temple?” I asked as I tried to get out of his hold.

Jacob’s words echoed in my head. _“I’ll have Richard bring you to the Temple soon. Listen, you’re not a candidate, so that makes you safe from the Man in Black in some regard. But you_ are _very special.”_

“Yes.” He steadied me. “You should take it easy, even though you’re healed.” Sunlight peeked through some of the openings in the stone.

“I was hurt?” I asked as I got out. I think I would remember that. I then saw a towel as well as my backpack and rifle.

He hummed. “Shot, actually.” 

I blinked. “What?” I gave him a surprised look.

“But don’t worry about it.” 

My brows creased, but I let it go anyway. I then began drying myself off.

There were flashes. I was in the jungle. Karl got shot through the chest as he sat on a log next to Alex. Rousseau got shot in the chest while trying to make a run for it. Alex got killed trying to plead with her father to come out. She was executed. Touching my cheek, I found a tear there. Once again, people around me bit the dust. Why? Why won’t it stop?

“They’re dead,” I muttered.

“What?” Asked Richard, not catching my words.

My voice quivered. “Alex, Karl, and Rousseau. They’re dead!”

The dark-haired man moved towards me. The next thing I knew, I was crying on his shoulder. “Was it those mercenaries?” he asked gently. All I could do was nod my head as I continued to sob. 

Next, my mind flashed to a dark scene. The ground began to shake. Black Smoke surrounded us. I tried to breathe, to stay alive as the lightning raged on. My breaths were short. I continuously tried to suck air in and out of my system. I knew that I didn’t have very long though. The sound of trees being ripped from the earth reached my ears. 

Somehow, I was standing. Richard gave me a look that silently asked if I was alright. I touched the area of my chest where I felt hurt. Nothing was there. Not anymore. I glanced back at the pool.

“Stupid Lazarus pit,” I muttered as I put my backpack on and held my rifle. I then saw the many stairways that led into it, and the hieroglyphs that lined it. I glanced up at Richard to find him staring at me. “It’s from a comic book,” I said awkwardly.

“Oh.” He looked away and smiled slightly.

“What day is it?”

“It’s December 30th. You’ve been on this island ninety-eight days.”

I then took in the building we were in. The stone was not quite grey, but not quite brown. “So this is the temple. Jacob told me that you would bring me here. And that I was special.”

“You are special,” affirmed, widening his smile. “It might not seem like it now, but when I met you all those years ago, not only could the dead speak to you, but you could summon them.” Taking in my nearly shocked expression, he changed the subject. “Come on, I’ll show you around.”

On one side of the healing pool was a short pedestal atop which sits an ornate hourglass which is usually kept covered. According to Richard, smaller injuries can be cured by simple immersion, more serious wounds require the patient to be forcibly held beneath the surface of the water until the sands of the hourglass expire. Upon their expiration, the patient will either drown or survive being simultaneously healed of their injuries.

Well, I guess it’s good that I didn’t drown then.

Getting out of the pool room through a door, we walked into a large corridor filled with pillars. Once we got far enough, I saw the courtyard.

The courtyard appeared to be a central living area for the Others inhabiting the Temple. Several doorways disappeared into adjoining stone buildings and a large steep stairway ascended through the tiers up the rear of the ziggurat from here. Close to the ziggurat is a large metal gong suspended from a post used to sound an alarm. The courtyard also had a small makeshift bamboo scaffold which could probably be used to launch flares that can be seen elsewhere on the Island. Other corridors lead to different places.

It looked quite peaceful here. After Richard told me that there was a mile-long wall surrounding this place, I knew that they were all safe here. Most everyone else gave me glances. 

What was _she_ doing here? They seemed to say.

Only Oceanic’s former flight attendant had the guts to speak to me. “Hey!” She called out. Richard and I stopped walking as she came up to us. “Are Ben and Alex alright?”

“Ben I think is fine,” I told her. “But Alex-“ I took note of how my voice shook. “Alex is dead.” Gasps escaped from onlookers. My lips quivered. “S-she w-was killed by-y the mercenaries.” I stared at her as my eyes became watery.

“Come on, Rachel,” Richard said gently with an arm on my back. “Let’s go.”

The main entrance was grand-looking.

Thinking of something, he frowned. “As much as I would like for you to stay, I promised Sawyer that I’d let you go back to the beach once you were alright. And I am a man of my word.”

I sighed. “Of course he’d say that.” I placed the rifle’s strap onto my shoulder before placing my hands on my hips. I almost didn’t want to leave. This was the perfect place to hide while mercenaries were running around. “What about the mercs?” I asked. “I mean, I have one gun, and they have numbers.”

“I know,” he said, leading me down another passageway. “Which is why you’re taking the back entrance.”

I peered at him strangely. The two of us came across a hieroglyph that looked almost like the Greek Omega sign. Richard pressed the hieroglyph. A secret door opened.

“This leads far beyond the outer wall,” he told me as I stepped through. “There are connecting tunnels that go underneath the barracks. Take the one to the left of the spring and it will get you somewhere close to the beach in a day or so.” He then handed me a torch before giving it flame with a lighter. “Good luck.”

“Hey,” I said before he could go away. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He closed the door.

Now, the only source of light was the torch. I walked along the pathway cautiously, not knowing what to expect.

It’s probably been a few hours since I’ve set foot in these tunnels. So far, I’ve only been able to spot pillars that lined the walls. Hieroglyphs adorned them. There were a few different ones, but the pattern never deviated from those few. Man, this place is sort of creepy. 

I only stopped for water once on this whole trip, meanwhile, I munched on an apple as I wandered. If I told you that I ate the entire thing including the stem and the seeds, would you be surprised? I wouldn’t. I mean, obviously, but I’ve done that countless times before while camping in the real world. 

I stopped again where several tunnels met in this chamber. There was a spring. Well, actually, it looked more like a square-like pond. A different sort of rockwall stood behind it. There was enough room for quite a few people to stand without being in the water though. I figured it was a good place to rest for a little while. Get a little bit of shut-eye. Using my bag as a pillow, I slouched down to the ground, setting the torch down.

I must have been dreaming, because the next thing I knew, I was in the jungle. I didn’t have my gun, the torch, or my pack. It was dark, but not dark enough to need a light source.

“How’d it feel?” Hearing someone behind me, I turned to find Shannon. “The spring,” she clarified. “How’d it feel?” She wore the same clothes she died in. The bloodstain was gone though.

“Great, actually,” I told her. It was then that I realized we were in the exact same spot where she was shot and killed.

She walked around me. “I wish we knew about it when _I_ was shot. You were close to the veil, you know. Like, really close. If Sawyer hadn’t let you go, you would have died.”

“Yeah, I kind of figured that,” I muttered. “What are we doing here?”

“Shouldn’t you know? We’re in _your_ subconscious.” I gave her a weird look. She scoffed. “Don’t you ever pay attention? You need to keep moving. Wake up!”

I jolted awake with wide eyes. 

“Okay,” I sighed as I stood. I should probably get going.

Once I reached the end of the tunnels, I found that the sky was blue. So, I blew the torch out but kept it with me. After all, I didn’t know how close tonight it was. It was better to have it on hand. "It's Cyan," Elena's voice echoed in my head. "Not blue."

I breathed out a laugh. "Whatever, El."

Walking through the jungle, I eventually heard voices. I smiled. It was Miles and Sawyer, but I didn’t hear Claire. Concerned, I stepped out of the bushes. I moved to speak, but the con-man beat me to it.

“Rachel?!” He gave me a shocked, but a delighted glance. “Damn, that was fast. You gave me quite a scare, kid. Come here.” He hugged me, something I definitely was used to him doing. Quickly, though it was broken.

“How?” asked Miles. He held a skeptical expression. “A day and a half ago you were bleeding out.”

I shrugged. “Call it a miracle? I’m a little foggy on what happened, myself.”

“Well,” said Sawyer as he shifted his weight, turning around. “We best be going. Don’t want to get caught by officer asshole.” 

Once the three of us started off, I felt the need to ask, “What happened to Claire?”

“We, uh, we don’t know,” Miles told me. “She was here yesterday, but when we woke up, she and the baby were gone.”

I blinked as my legs stopped moving, my eyes widening. “What?”

“Yeah,” Miles sighed. “She just disappeared. Sawyer still probably thinks I had something to do with it.”

“And did you?” I asked, shooting him a look.

“No.”

“Guys!” projected Sawyer. Apparently, he was several paces ahead of us. He had this annoyed look on his face and his arms were outstretched. We shared a glance before rushing to catch up to him.

I really hoped that we could get back to the beach soon.


	50. Back to The Beach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel, Miles, Sawyer, and Aaron wander back to the beach.

As Sawyer, Miles, and I walked along the jungle, I found myself humming Ngarra Burra Ferra. It felt so long ago, when Claire and I sang it together in the caves. The tune brought back a nice but of familiarity and memories of a time where things felt so simple.

Although, that could also be because Miles was holding Aaron. We found him shortly after I found Miles and Sawyer. The tiny human had cried loudly, but apparently, Miles is good with babies. Soon after, we set out to look for Claire.

“What are you humming?” Miles asked me.

“Just a song from Australia,” I told him.

“I thought you were from New Zealand.”

“I am. I just,” I paused. “Know about it.”

“What’s it about?”

“It’s an Aborigines tale adapted from Jewish prayer songs,” I huffed, scanning around the area. “Basically, the first verse is about how Moses drowned the Pharaoh's army. The second, is saying that these people were going to pray to Jesus so that they could drown the Pharaoh’s army as Moses did.”

“You believe in any of that?”

I glanced at him. “Any of what?” Then, I stepped over a log. 

“God, you know. That kind of stuff.”

“My aunt used to. Do you?” I almost chuckled.

He shook his head. “Not really.”

“Why are we talking about this, anyway?”

Miles shrugged. “Because you called it a miracle. Those don’t happen.” The miracle being me getting shot and then healed in a freaking Lazarus pit.

With my hands in my hoodie pockets, I outstretched my arms and twisted my body to gesture to the world around us. “Look around you. On this island? Yes. They do.”

“Quite the chit chat, why don’t you?” Sawyer requested. He walked in front of us.

“Why?” I challenged.

The blonde looked back to face me. “Because, little Red, talking slows us down.” 

I rolled my eyes as he returned his attention forward.

When we stopped for water, Miles gave Aaron to me. After I had taken a few sips of my clear liquid, I played with the baby a little. They liked to be in motion for some reason, so I kept bouncing the kid. He cooed happily. Yet, I couldn’t help but notice a small interaction between the con man and the ghost guy.

“Listen,” said Sawyer in a hushed voice. The two of them stood about three meters away from me. 

“Are you giving me a restraining order for _her_ too?” Miles asked dryly, gesturing at me with his hands. “Remember how well that went with Claire?”

“You still haven’t earned my trust yet, Donger.”

I sighed, walking up to them. “Hey,” I projected, getting their attention. “I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. If you haven’t noticed, I too have a rifle. And I’m a damn good shot.”

The two men just stared at me. Aaron cooed again. 

I blinked and gave them a hard eye roll. “Look,” I continued, my tone stern. “Whatever it is, get over it. We sort of need to trust each other if we’re going to make it back to our people alive. Okay?”

“Uh, yeah. I can do that,” Miles told me while nodding his head.

“Good.” I gave Aaron to Sawyer before going back for my bag. “Because we should get going and find Claire before those mercenaries do.”

Sawyer sighed as he picked up his things. We soon headed off.

The next day, it seemed as though we would get nowhere. Miles and I walked in front while Sawyer walked behind us with baby Aaron in his arms. As we came out into a clearing, we saw Kate and Jack with their guns drawn.

“Uh, hey,” Miles greeted. “Long time no see.”

I gave them an awkward smile and waved. The two of them gave us confused expressions. Miles and I glanced at each other before turning to look behind us. We heard the sound of Aaron beginning to cry. 

“Who you talking to, Genghis?” Sawyer projected as he came out of the trees. 

“Where’s Claire?” Jack asked us.

“We, uh, lost her,” Sawyer stated, glancing away.

Their eyes widened with shock. “You _what_ ??” “ _Lost_ her?” Jack and Kate questioned us. Kate had her hands on her hips while she gave Sawyer a look.

“She just walked off in the middle of the night. We looked for her for a day, but she was gone. I was hopin’ maybe she went back to the beach.” Oh, shoot.

“She didn’t,” Jack said plainly as he bent down with stress before popping back up. Sawyer would have cursed if he didn’t have a baby in his arms.

Aaron wept again. I sighed, holding my arms out. “Let me take her.” The dirty blonde gave the baby to me. I bounced him as I swayed a little. “Hey Aaron,” I said quietly. “It’s okay. We’ll find her.”

“Well, what are y’all doing out here?” Sawyer asked the two Crashies. “And what’s the phone for?” Glancing at them, I found a satellite phone in Jack’s hand.

“The chopper flew over the beach,” the doctor said. “Someone tossed it out. It must’ve been Sayid.” What? That can’t be right.

“It’s not Sayid,” I told them. They all turned to me for answers. “I get the feeling that they wouldn’t even let him back on. It must have been the pilot.”

“Wait, why would they not let Sayid back on the Chopper?” Kate asked me.

“Those animals that just blew up half of New Otherton,” Sawyer told them before I could. “You do not wanna tussle with 'em.”

“What?” asked a baffled Kate. “They tried to kill you?”

“Not just that,” I continued. “But they killed Danielle, Karl,” I could feel myself getting upset. My voice quivered and my eyes were getting watery. “And Alex. They tried to kill me too. They’re after Ben. That’s all they want. Then they really will kill everyone on this island.” I felt Sawyer’s arms wrap around me.

“Just like Locke said they would,” the con man commented. Aaron began to cry again, I tried to calm him down, but this time it was a little harder.

“So... what?” Jack tried to figure out the next step. “We're supposed to just... turn around and hide? 'Cause it seems like that didn't work so well for you.”

“I'm sorry, Doc, maybe this is déjà vu, but didn't you just do the whole ‘run through the jungle with a walkie’ plan?” Sawyer asked rudely as he gestured to the phone. I broke his embrace.

Jack gestured to the direction in which the chopper went. “That helicopter is our only way off this island,” he felt the need to point out. “Look. I put Sayid and Desmond on that chopper. It was my call. It's my responsibility. I'm going after it whether they're on it or not. You can all head back to the beach.”

“Jack,” said Kate, firmly. “You can’t. Not by yourself-”

“Take care of the baby.” He then headed off on his own.

“That son of a bitch is stubborn,” Sawyer sighed as he cocked his gun. He then went after the doctor, projecting, “Hold up!” His next words were quieter but I thought I heard something along the lines of, “You don’t get to die alone.”

Ha. Live together, die alone.

Unlike Kate, Miles and I actually did want to go to the beach, so we just silently went ahead. Just as we thought Austin wasn’t going to follow us, we heard a sigh and a few steps behind us. Glancing over my shoulder, I found Kate following us.

When we got back to the beach, Kate wanted to hold Aaron, so I gave him to her. I watched as she gave him to Sun and told her to get the kid on the raft. What raft? Scanning the beach I found Sayid and a small boat, but no Desmond. After the people talk it over, Sayid and Kate rush off into the jungle.

I climbed up a tree. It was very tall, and a good vantage point for seeing if anyone was coming close to the camp. After all, some of those Mercs could still be here. I rested the rifle against my shoulder as I dug through my bag for another apple.

I scout the area as I bite into the fruit, wondering where Claire could be.

“You know, I would have asked you to come down so that you could have some food,” came Miles’ voice. I turned to my left and glanced down. He and Rose stood at the base of the giant plant. “But well-“ he gestured to my apple. “Anyway, how long are you going to stay up there?”

I shrugged. “I’m going to stay up here as long as I like.”

“Wouldn’t you like to get off this island, Rachel?” Rose asked me.

“Yeah, but someone needs to make sure this camp stays safe.”

She nodded before looking around. “Okay,” Rose allowed. “I’ll come get you when the last few boats are leaving.” She then left. I returned to my apple.

“Hey, can I talk to you?” Miles asked. I glanced down to find Miles still there.

My brows creased. “Aren’t you doing that now?” 

“I just don’t feel like projecting my voice,” he told me as he placed his hands on his hips.

“Fine,” I said as I hopped down with my things. I took him into the bamboo patch. “What is it?” I asked in a quieter voice.

“You once told me that you could see spirits?” Miles inquired. I nodded. “How?”

I shrugged. “They kinda just show up. All, people that I used to know. We talk. That’s it. What about you?”

He stared at me as if asking why I was talking about it so casually. Then he let it go, and said, “The day before you found Sawyer and I, us two and Claire found Danielle and Karl. I only knew they were there because I got… these flashes of their deaths. Certain words. You were there.” I pursed my lips in a frown. “But most of the time, I go places and I talk to them.” My face told him to explain more. “Like for example, I can ask a spirit to leave a house.”

“Interesting,” I muttered. “Well, this is a vast island, and there’s tons of spirits here who can’t move on. They’re tied to something.” I then walked away from him.

As some of the last Crashies climbed into the boat, I heard Rose’s voice. “Rachel! Come on!” She yelled. A bunch of other people were still on the island: including Rose, Bernard, Juliet, Miles, Charlotte, and a few others.

“I’ll catch the next one!” I shouted. “I don’t want to leave until everyone else is off!” She accepted my answer and was off.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that I wouldn’t see her for some time.

At some point later in the day, I spotted Sawyer swim back to the beach. As to how he got there, I didn’t really care. I couldn’t ignore the sudden feeling of a little over a dozen people suddenly joining the land of the dead. It was faint, but I heard an explosion. My first thought was of the freighter. That’s the thing that must have exploded.

Next, everyone who stayed on the island heard this strange noise. Don’t ask me to describe it further, because I can’t. A white light surrounds us all. The entire island. I couldn’t help but feel as if the entire island was moved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so, I won’t be making these for the entirety of the rest of December. I’m on Christmas break.


	51. Where or When the Hell Am I?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I know I said that I wouldn’t post until like, January because Christmas break, but I couldn’t wait to put all my ideas on electronic paper...
> 
> So here it is: Rachel’s time travel in Season 5

When the light was gone, the smoke from the freighter was gone too. Everyone else on the beach had disappeared. There was just her, her gun and her backpack.

“What the fuck?” I asked out loud. I scanned the beach again. No people. No tents. No nothing. “What the hell?”

I wandered around the sand screaming, “Sawyer! Miles! Rose! Bernard! Juliet!” They were the only people left on the island that I trusted, you see. I called out for them countless times, but no one came. Not one single person. I even screamed so much that I made my voice go all scratchy. Great. Just great.

With nothing left to do, I began to wander around. I knew that if I used my voice any longer, I would end up losing it. Hopefully I would find someone that was familiar to me.

There’s no one here. There’s absolutely no one here. I have been walking around for hours and have spotted no one. Not one single person. I’m past worried, I’m freaked out. The only living creatures I’ve seen are frogs, boars, and birds.

No DHARMA stations either. But the Temple and the tunnels were there. I stayed in the Temple for three days, surviving off of the fruit I still had in my backpack, as well as a boar I hunted and killed. At that moment, I was very thankful to still have bullets in my rifle. 

There weren’t as much vines and moss growing on it when she last saw it. I was the only person there. No ghosts came up to me either.

This only led me to believe that when the island shifted, I was misplaced in time. But how far away have I been placed? And how far until I meet Richard and eventually die?

I went up to the caves to get some fresh water. Once inside, however, the first thing I noticed was the bodies. Two of them in their little niches like they were when Jack, Kate, and I found them. Except… the corpses looked fresher. Not completely fresh, but rotted enough that they’ve been dead for a few decades.

I walked over to the spring and got the water bottles from my backpack. I was so thankful to have my bag with me, you guys have no idea. Otherwise I’d be sitting around bored all day everyday whenever I am.

The water filled up fast. It didn’t take me long to fill both of my plastic containers.

“Who are you?” The voice made me jump. The newly full water bottle almost fell out of my hands as I capped it. Quickly, I placed both bottles in my pack. Turning around, I found Jacob just standing there. “What are you doing here?”

That seemed to be a stupidquestion. Then again, this was Jacob. He probably knew that something was off with me. “I seem to have been misplaced,” I told him. He gave me a weird look. I then remembered my water. Putting it back into my bag, I said, “Well, I better get going.” He let me walk out.

“I would tell you to watch out for the only other person on this island,” Jacob projected. Turning around, I saw him facing me. “But something tells me you already know about him.”

“Trust me,” I responded as I resumed my steps. “I know.”

“Then you’ll know what needs to be done!” 

What? 

What the Hell does _that_ mean? 

Wait, no I think I know…

Am I sure though? Definitely not, but why else would he say that?

Then again, Rousseau considered the black smoke to be a security system. If that was true, then what did that make Jacob? Or does she have things all wrong? 

Okay, this is getting complicated and I don’t know when the hell I am. We should probably figure that out first. But, if Jacob and the smoke are the only people here, how far back did I end up? And where was everyone else?

Now, hold on, I haven’t explored this whole island yet. So, shush, brain.

Wanting to check something, I wandered over towards the four toed statue. It was still intact, meaning that the Black Rock hadn’t bumped into it yet. Who knows, maybe it’ll come around soon. 

Heh, when that happens, I best be way above ground. I don’t want the way I go out to be drowning. No, Richard seemed to know me far too well to find my drowned ass and bury me when he first got here. No, it had to be something else.

I’ve been here a week, settling down permanently in the Temple. It’s well fortified, but I doubt that would stop Jacob or the smoke. I wanted to build a shelter on the beach, I really did, but I knew that wouldn’t be the safest place for me.

Eight days of not knowing when the hell I am. Great. Maybe I’ll just ask Richard what year it is when he crashes here. 

I was on my last bullet. After this, I might need to consider getting good with a bow and arrow. Anyway, I had the boar in my sights. As I lay in the brush with my weapon aimed at him, I placed my finger on the trigger. 

My last bullet.

Before I could take the shot, however, I heard the very familiar sounds of the smoke monster. Metallic beast noises. It scared my damn boar away. 

Then, the smoke left. A few minutes later, a man dressed in black came up to me. He was slim, and sort of bald. His eyes wandered over my form. “How did you get here?” He asked me.

“The island misplaced me. I’m lost,” I told him, drawing my weapon. “Who are you?”

“That’s not important,” he told me while stepping closer. His hands were up in surrender. He had this strange air about him. It was as if he could almost smirk. He probably thought that he could get things going for him. “What _is_ important, is that there is a blonde man on this island. He’s evil. He wants to wreak havoc onto the world, but I can’t let him. I have him trapped here, on this island, but I can’t kill him. Or more actually, we cannot kill each other.”

So this is their game? They pulled people to this island so that they could persuade them into killing one or the other. I wonder how the Egyptians fared, or even if they were here before Jacob and the smoke themselves. I nearly smiled remembering, _The Most Dangerous Game._ Dad was right. This is that book in actual life. 

“Bullshit,” I told him, earning a strange glance. I placed the man in my line of sights. “If you are who I think you are, then I’m not in the mood for your games, alright? I’ve already survived a few of yours, I have an idea of when you’re scheming.”

“Do you now?” He asked as he took a cautious step forward. “Can I do anything to change your mind?”

“Not fucking likely,” I told him, backing away. When I was far enough away, I realized that he wasn’t following me.

The history books say that Jacob is the light. The darkness always tries to persuade otherwise.

I smiled. Damn Star Wars likeness. I hate this.

Then again, it could also be flipped in actuality. Then again, again, don’t believe everything you hear.

I sighed as I laid down on the cold stone of the Temple. I hoped the island corrects itself so that I could get back to my actual timeline. Yet, my gut knew that wasn’t going to happen.

Always listen to your gut, folks.

I tried to see if I could reach out to any ghosts that I knew. No one came up. Not mom, not dad, no Elena, Shannon, or Eko. Absolutely no one. 

I almost laughed. I can’t see them anymore. They can’t bug me anymore. 

I frowned. I can’t see them anymore. They can’t guide me anymore.

I’m alone. Completely alone. No one but Jacob and the smoke guy to keep me company. The Gods have damned my luck!


	52. Claudia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a long while, Rachel finally encounters a ghost.

As I walked along the beach with my makeshift spear, I surveyed the area. I ran out of bullets a week ago. I didn’t even know where to start on making a bow and arrow, so I settled for the pointy stick. I can’t exactly see the logistics of hunting boar with a spear, so I guess it’s back to fish and fruit.

It’s my twentieth day here, who knows when. The smoke man hasn’t approached me since that time a bunch of days ago. Yet, I always see his smoke making rounds across the jungle, surveying me.

I sighed as I stared out into the water. It was probably the end of January back in my original time zone. That’s two-ish more months before my birthday in March.

I smiled. My birthday was my cousin’s half birthday. Her birthday, September Seventh is _my_ half day. I wonder how she is now. I wonder how her mom and dad are. They’re probably grief stricken. I mean, first my mother, father, and brother die, then I become pressured dead. Our funerals were probably all at the same place and at the same time. Only downside was, they didn’t have my body.

Oh god. Julie, Elena’s mom, must be having such a hard time now, too. I mean, the two of them lived alone in their house. As far as I knew, Julie wasn’t seeing anyone when we left. Even worse, is that Elena is actually dead, and I can’t retrieve her body to send back to New Zealand.

I plopped down on the sand, running my finger through the tiny golden rocks. When I looked up at the statue, I found that it was still there. I exhaled. 

“That statue’s been there for as long as I can remember,” said a woman’s voice. Turning around, I found a dark haired woman in red clothing. “Well, for as long as I’ve been on this island, anyway.” She sat down next to me. “Including now while I’m dead.”

I stared at her with wide eyes. “For how long?” I asked her. “When did you die?”

“Oh, it must have been 1,900 or 1,800 years ago by now,” she huffed out a small laugh. 

My brows scrunched. “So, the statue was here when you arrived?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

My eyes scanned the ocean for a small moment. “Can I ask where you came from?” 

“Rome, if you can believe it.” She glanced down at the sand. “I was pregnant at the time too. With twins. They’ve almost always fought, you know. I’ve only unfortunately gotten to witness it as a ghost.”

I nodded my head and hummed. “What happened to you?” I asked as I glanced into her eyes.

“The Protector of the island before my son, Jacob, killed me.”

My eyes widened. “You’re Jacob’s mother?”

She hummed in affirmation. “Just… be careful, alright?” She disappeared right then and there.

I sat there staring at the ocean. My mind was fuzzy with information. Apparently, the Protector of the island would do anything to save it, even if that meant killing people they’re suspicious of.

“She was my mother too,” said the Man in Black as he walked up to me. I still wasn’t used to seeing his face, or hearing his voice. “Jacob and I were her twins. He could never see her ghost, though.”

Clearly, he’s come to try and convince me again. I wondered how long it would be until he got to the point. “What was her name?” I asked.

“Claudia.” He took a few more steps forward. “Though she died when she gave birth to Jacob and I. We were raised by the so-called Protector. I killed her.”

“Why?” Now I was curious.

“Because,” he paused. “She favored Jacob more. Or that’s how she made it seem, anyway. I just wanted to leave, and neither Jacob nor Mother would let me.”

I nearly sighed. “Is this another attempt at getting me to join you? Because it’s still not going to work.” I stood and gave him a hard gaze. “I will _never_ be involved with anything either of you do. Mark my words.” I stormed off, feeling his eyes on me as I stepped through the trees.

I couldn’t help but wonder though, if the former Protector killed Claudia because she wanted to raise her child or children so that they could become the next island protectors.   
  


I’ve now spent thirty days whenever the hell I am on this island. The Man in Black had left me alone since that time. Still no sign of the Black Rock, so that’s a little worrying. At least there are some ghosts here that I can talk to.

I sighed as I took a sip of my water bottle, looking out at the ocean from my seat on the cliff. I could see Hydra Island from here. Or at least, I hoped it was. The thing was small from up here.

“Oh, good. You’re still here.” That was Jacob’s voice.

I chose not to face him. Knowing he stood close to me was enough. “Did you think I would leave?” I asked him as I sipped on my drink.

“No, I just wondered if the island was going to take you back where you belong.” 

I hummed while I couldn’t help but wonder about something. If Jacob is the current Protector, and he can bring people to the island, then could he misplace people? “Is it the _island’s_ power? Or yours?” I countered.

“That,” he said as he plopped down next to me. “Would be the island. There’s electromagnetism on this island, you see.” I stared at him. “You're looking as if you already know that. That’s good. Anyway, my brother… or what _was_ my brother… he used the people that our birth mother came with to dig a well at the heart of the island and when that failed, he tried to build a wheel to escape. Guess how well that went.”

“It didn’t,” I realized. I glanced at him and asked, “Was he the smoke before or after that?”

“Would it change the meaning if I answered?” He’s dodging the question.

My eyes almost squinted. “That depends on the answer.”

He nodded. “It would, wouldn’t it?” I frowned. Alright, I guess I shouldn’t trust either of them.

“How many people have you brought to this island?”

“Many people,” he glanced out at the ocean for a bit. “Know why?” I kept silent. He took that as a no. “So that I can prove him wrong about the inherent corruptibility of human beings.”

I snickered and muttered, “I guess my father was right.”

“What?” His blonde head turned towards me, confused.

“My father told me about the Man in Black, once,” I told him, placing my water bottle into my bag. “He also told me never to go to the Heart of the Island.”

“That was good advice,” Jacob agreed. “You should heed it.”

“Don’t worry,” I told him as I stood up. “I will.”

As I left the spot, the Protector called after me. “I’m bringing a new group of people! I need someone to warn them about the Man in Black!”

Interesting. He didn’t say brother.

I stopped. “And what makes you think that I will?” I projected as I turned around to meet his unreadable gaze. He didn’t respond.

I rolled my eyes and went back to my original course. It was going to be dark soon anyway. I might as well have the edge on the night.

I smiled, wondering if the group Jacob was bringing in included Richard. 


	53. I Don’t Understand

I sat on the giant crater on the beach. The waves created calming white noise. Since dad only wrote in almost a half of this notebook, I figured I would fill the other pages. I started at the beginning, the crash, and Elena’s dead body and worked my way up. The caves, the smoke monster, Ethan, the hatch, the Tailies, the Others, Hydra Island, the Barracks, Richard, and the ‘rescue team.’ Tears streamed down my face as I remembered certain things. I remembered how I felt when Kate brought back Elena’s corpse. I remember how the corpses in the cave made me think about my dead family. I remembered how pissed I felt when Charlie shot Ethan. I remembered Shannon’s death. I remembered seeing Walt and being so confused. I remembered Benjamin’s threat. I remembered when Rousseau, Karl, and Alex died. 

Yet, there were some good moments. I remembered when Charlie and I met, how, when I noticed his tattoo, we sang a little bit of Strawberry Fields. I remembered fishing with Hurley and Charlie. I remembered my conversations with Jin. I remembered that night in the cave when Claire and I sang. I remembered how much I liked being around Jack and Kate. I remembered making the map, and how Sayid said that it was really good. I remembered Sawyer teaching me how to shoot. I remembered how happy I felt when I was reunited with Alex. I remembered how Sawyer became super protective of me.

I numbered each entry with the date.It was hard, and a bit confusing, sometimes. I knew that we crashed on September 22, 2004. All I had to figure out was what my counted days were with coordination of the actual calendar. Sadly, the book only let me get to the flash of white light that brought me to this timeline.

I felt his presence, a skill that I had acquired in my thirty-seven days of living here. (130-something days in total). “What are you up to?” The Man in Black asked me. I heard his steps.

“One day you will tell your story of how you overcame what you went through and it will be someone else's survival guide,” I told him. I glanced up to see him tilting his head slightly with a confused look. “My father wrote in half of this book, and I figured I’d write my half.”

He didn’t react. “You should go to the Northern part of the island soon,” he told me.

“And why would I do anything you say?” I challenged, looking at him straight in the eyes.

“I’m just trying to make sure you survive, Rachel.”

I stood. “Yeah? Well, maybe I don’t want your help.”

He gave me a look that asked: Really? “A huge storm is coming in, I can sense it.” He glanced out at the ocean. “Neither Jacob nor I would want you to get swept away.”

My brows creased. “And you would know that, how?”

The man shrugged. “You are a smart girl, Rachel.” He shifted his weight. “I have the feeling that neither of us would want you to get swept away by a large wave. Besides, you can see spirits, like me. And despite what you may think, I do enjoy your company.”

I scoffed as I abruptly shut my book and placed it in my pack. As I stood, I didn’t make eye contact and walked away.

As I walked through the jungle, my head studied the dirt. I knew that if I looked back now, I could still see the back of the statue. This white light surrounded me. There was this strange sound. This tree that was toppled no longer was.

“Rachel?!” A mix of voices shouted. Stunned, I turned my head to find Jin, Juliet, Miles, Sawyer. 

My eyes felt glossy as my lips spread into a smile. They were here. They were here. I wasn’t alone anymore. The island shifted me through time and brought me to them. Jin looked at me with warm sympathy. 

“Rachel!” Sawyer shouted as he rushed towards me. Immediately I was embraced. “I thought we lost you, red.” He sounded so relieved. He then broke the hug to get a good look at me. “You okay? You had me worried.”

Jin walked up to me and gave me a hug. His was different from Sawyer’s. The con man’s was tight, as if he didn’t want to let me go. Jin’s was gentler, as if he was just glad that I was there. 

“ _I was so alone,”_ I told Jin in Korean. His arms tightened. I was the one who broke that hug.

“Rachel, how long have you been here?” Juliet asked me.

“Well,” I said as I looked around, wiping my tears away. “In this exact moment, only a few minutes. But…” I glanced at each of them. “I’ve spent thirty-some-odd days living on the island. I don’t know when…” I pointed to the tree that was supposed to be toppled. “But that tree had fallen.”

They gave me a weird look. 

“You’ve been alone this entire time?” Jin asked me. I nodded, almost smiling. His English had come a long way since I last saw him.

I averted my eyes. “Well, that isn’t entirely true. Jacob is real, guys. And apparently, the smoke monster is—er he used to be a man.” They all adopted looks of shock. 

Next, in a split second, they were gone. The bright light had brought me back.

I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I was hyperventilating. “No,” I muttered with a saddened tone. Quickly, my gaze darted to the fallen tree that had returned. “Why?” I almost sobbed. “They were right there!”

I felt so angry. A frustrated cry escaped my mouth. “Damn it!” I shouted as the side of my fists hit the ground. “Damn it all!” I sat there with my knees connected to the dirt.

Calm down, Rachel. My breathing was heavy as I shook my hand in the air. A tear slipped out of my sockets. The sky looked so clear. Not a cloud in sight. I wished it would rain. The clouds haven’t cried in twenty days.

I could only imagine how they were feeling. Juliet might be stunned, silent, or mumbling to herself trying to figure everything out. Jin and Miles could also be silent, but actually thinking. I got the feeling that Kwon’s hands would be resting on his hips. I knew for a fact, however, that Sawyer was shouting in anger like I was, but with a lot more cursing.

The sound of a boar reached my ears. It made its hog-like sounds. Snorting and chortling. The animal was close. The grip on my spear tightened. Silently, I stood. Leaves crunched under the hooves of the creature. I twisted my body to face it. The boar hasn’t seen me yet, it was just munching on grass or something. Knowing that I wouldn’t get another chance like this, I launched my spear into its front leg. It squealed. I rushed towards it as it tried to run away. I ripped my spear out of its limp and stapled it in the heart. The beast went down instantly. I took in a few slow breaths.

I exhaled and walked towards my kill. I picked it up and slung it over my shoulders. Without much other thought, I headed back to the Temple.

  
  



	54. His Arrival

Even though I took refuge in the Temple, I still heard the gigantic wave wash over the island. I had been staying in the ancient structure for five days before this. Neither Jacob, nor the MiB approached me during that time.

When the morning came, I wandered over to the Black Rock. When I got there, however, no one was left alive. No one. Some of them looked like they were killed more recently, however. I could see evidence of someone trying to break free based on the nail and the chains that were left askew. My eyes darted to the dynamite. The boom sticks that reportedly killed Arszt, blew open the Hatch, and took out Others with. I debated taking a few, but I didn’t know how to handle them. Besides, what do I need them for at this moment? I’m surprised they didn’t blow up when the ship hit the statue.

Oh well, I shrugged. Besides, people in the future need these.

As I walked outside, I found the Man in Black standing there. “I hope you don’t mind,” said he. His hands were gathered in front of him. “But I already scouted the ship. I found this man chained there.”

Richard. I tried to show a blank face. “What did you do?”

He shrugged. “Nothing really. Gave him water, helped him out of the chains, told him he was in hell-“

“Excuse me?!” I tried not to shout.

He smiled. “You heard me. And you promised you wouldn't get involved in my plans. Besides, it’s not like you agreed to do anything for Jacob either.”

I mildly pointed at him, taking one step. “You’re insufferable.” I then moved to leave.

My pace quickened when I realized that either Richard or Jacob could be hurting each other. When I came upon the now foot of a statue, I saw Jacob trying to drown Richard. The blonde man kept shouting at him as he dunked him over and over again.

When Richard was brought out of the water, he called out, “Stop!” But he didn’t. Jacob dunked him in the water again.

“Hey!” I shouted as I ran towards them. “What are you doing?!” 

“Proving to him that he’s alive!” Jacob answered, pausing to look at me. A frown sat on his face as he pulled Richard out of the water. The man gasped for air. “Still think you’re dead?! Why should I stop?!”

“Because I want to live!!” Richard shouted, fighting out of Jacob’s grasp. Briefly, he glanced at me.

“That’s the first sensible thing you’ve said to me,” Jacob told him. He took him by the arm and dragged the poor guy out of the ocean. “What’s your name?”

“Ricardo,” he answered, stumbling when he reached the sand.

Oh, right. _“My name is Richard, or Ricardo, as you will come to know me…”_ Future Richard’s voice echoed in my head.

“Ricardo…” Jacob parroted. “Get up, we need to talk.” The blonde faced me. “You too, sweetheart,” he said as he pointed in my direction.

“I already heard what you have to say,” I told him with my arms crossed.

“Not completely.” I huffed before following the two men.

We sat on a log, close to the wrecked statue on the beach. Jacob came out of a doorway from the side of the statue’s pedestal. A strange glass of wine dangled from his hands.

“What is inside?” Richard asked him, inclining his head to the statue.

“No one comes in unless I invite them in,” the blonde stated. With a gesture of his hand, he offered wine to us. We both declined.

“Are you the Devil?” Ricardo asked him.

I blinked, then chortled. Oh right, how could I forget? The Man in Black sought out a different strategy that involved making this poor man think he was in Hell. Next, he told Ricardo that Jacob was the Devil. I nearly forgot that he told me this. Why he didn’t think to try that tactic with me is beyond me. “So that _was_ his play,” I muttered. Both men looked at me with confusion. “Oh, did I say that out loud?” I nearly winced. “Sorry, um, I spoke to the Man in Black before rushing over here.” I made eye contact with Jacob. “He vaguely told me what he was doing, so I decided to check on you.”

“And here I thought you weren’t going to pick sides,” the blonde remarked as he sat down next to Richard.

“Believe me, I’m not.” Jacob gave me a strange look before glancing between Richard and myself. Next, he nodded and took a small sip of wine.

“Am sorry,” said Ricardo. “But have I missed something?”

“Not really,” I shrugged. My hand gestured towards the Protector. “That’s Jacob by the way. He brought your ship to this island, as he brought many people to this island.” If Jacob was going to rope me into one of these discussions, I might as well help explain things too. Even though I knew he wanted to do most of the talking and didn't want to reveal his name yet.

Ricardo faced him with a bow creased in confusion. “You brought it here? Why?”

Jacob picked up the wine bottle, making the liquid circle around. He said, “Think of this wine as what you keep calling Hell. There’s many names for it too: malevolence, evil, darkness. And here it is, swirling around in the bottle, unable to get out because if it did, it would spread.” He corked the bottle before turning it upside down. I got the feeling that he was actually talking about the Man in Black. “The cork is this island, and it’s the only thing keeping the darkness where it belongs. That man who sent you to kill me believes that everyone is corruptible because it’s in their very nature to sin. I bring people here to prove them wrong. And when they get here, their past doesn’t matter.”

“Before you brought my ship, there were others?” Ricardo questioned. 

Jacob nodded. “Yes, many.”

“Was she on one of them?” Ricardo gestured toward me.

The blonde Protector shared a glance with me. My eyes told him to lie. “She was, yes. Everyone else is dead.”

Ricardo stared at me. “Did you kill them?”

I huffed out a small laugh. “No. They’ve been dead long before I came here. I came here by myself.”

The dark-haired Spaniard seemed to be in deep thought. He faced the Protector and asked, “But if you brought them here, why didn’t you help them?”

Jacob shrugged. “Because I wanted them to help themselves. To know the difference between right and wrong without me having to tell them. Rachel here,” he gestured to me. I gave him a look. “She gets it. How? I’m not exactly sure.” He looked right into Ricardo’s eyes. “It’s all meaningless if I have to force them to do anything. Why should I have to step in?”

“If you don’t, he will,” Richard reasoned. I smiled at how stumped Jacob looked. The Spaniard did raise a very fair point.

“Then why don’t you do it, then?” I suggested, inclining my head towards Ricardo. I then glanced at Jacob. “Make him a sort of intermediary between you and the incoming people. I sure as hell am not going to do it.”

“Exactly my thinking,” Jacob muttered.

Ricardo studied our glances between each other for a moment. “What will I get in return?”

Jacob shrugged. “You tell me.”

“I want my wife back.”

The blonde pursed his lips. “Can’t do that.”

“Can you absolve me of my sins so I don’t go to Hell?”

“I can’t do that either.”

The dark-haired man thought for a moment. “I never want to die. I want to live forever.”

“Now _that_ , I can do.” He touched Richard’s shoulder. Jacob stood, showing us a white rock. “Now, I want you to give this to him.” He gave the stone to Richard.

“Can I ask why?” Ricardo questioned as he stood to take the object.

“It’s more of an inside thing between me and him.”

The Spaniard shrugged as he walked away. When he disappeared into the jungle, Jacob inquired, “What is your connection to him?”

“What?” I played dumb.

“You wouldn’t have cared as much as you did about me dunking him in water if you didn’t already know him. So, what’s your connection?”

I guess I can’t really hide much from the Protector, can I? I sighed, not knowing if I could trust Jacob with this information. “In the year 2004, I’m a fifteen-year-old girl from New Zealand taking a flight from Australia to America. The plane crashes on this island. Here, I meet Richard—er, Ricardo. He told me the strangest thing.”

“Oh? And what’s that?”

“Something that should haunt me even though it doesn’t.”

Jacob gave me a strange look then let it go and nodded. I began to walk away from him, hoping that he wouldn’t bring it up again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo, as you probably have guessed, I'm having Rachel go through neither the Oceanic Six arc nor the DHARMA 1977 arc...  
> Besides, Richard is cool and we didn't really see all that much of him in the show.


	55. Doctor, My Eyes

It’s been three weeks since Ricardo has been on this island. I’ve been trying to avoid him. After all, what do I even say? I can’t tell him that I’m from the future immediately. No, that would be too weird for him. I’ll need to gain his trust first.

Plus, I live in the Temple. That’s not something you just happen upon. It’s hidden very well. I also utilize the tunnels a lot. It’s much faster than walking on the ground. Ricardo doesn’t know these things. In time, he will though. 

I hummed in thought. Since he _is_ immortal, then he would never get hurt, thus never needing to use the healing spring. 

When I emerged from the tunnels, I found myself near the beach where my people’s camp used to be. I tried imagining where everyone’s tent was. Forty some-odd tents all strewn about. Some placed in an orderly fashion, and some placed haphazardly. I tried seeing the kitchen, it’s large pantry and platform.

After traveling down the beach, I found where the crash should be. I remembered that so vividly. The cabin itself was laid at a diagonal angle from the ground. A wing eventually tipped. One of the fan-engine things spun with enough force to suck someone in and kill them. Jin shouted for Sun, Micheal shouted for Walt, and I shouted for Elena. Jack and Boone ran around trying to save people.

I sighed. Sixty-six days in this particular time. Grand total of 159 days in general. Pretty sure it’s somewhere in February now. One more group of thirty days and I might miss my sixteenth birthday.

Words echoed in my head.

“Listen, you’re not a candidate, so that makes you safe from the Man in Black in some regard. But you _are_ very special.” What did Jacob mean when he told me that?

“You are a smart girl, Rachel. I have the feeling that neither of us would want you to get swept away by a large wave. Besides, you can see spirits, like me. And despite what you may think, I do enjoy your company.”

Ignoring his last few words, why would the Man in Black say that to me?

According to them, I’m special, and neither one would really like to see me dead.

Wait a minute, the Man in Black likes to see how corruptible people are. He likes to do this so that one day someone might kill his brother. So far, I haven’t taken his side yet. Actually, I haven’t really taken Jacob’s side either. Does that make me incorruptible? Or is that only in this moment?

And what the heck are candidates?? Candidates for what?

Wait, wasn’t there a Protector before Jacob? In that case, a current Protector needs to find people who can succeed them when they die or something. Right?

And something else was still bugging me...

“Beautiful day, isn’t it?” The Man in Black asked as he walked up to me.

“Well, didn’t you just conveniently show up?” I asked rhetorically.

“Oh?” Said the man as he looked at me. “It was convenient?”

I nodded. “I actually had something to ask you.”

He quirked an eyebrow at me before asking “What’s the question?”

“Why did you really use Ricardo to get to Jacob?” He shifted his weight. “Was it because you saw an opportunity? Or was it to spite me since you knew I wouldn’t do it, and you thought that Ricardo might fail?”

He smiled. “See? I knew you were smart.” He then showed me a green fruit. “Guava?”

My eyes squinted. I don’t trust that. “No thanks,” I said as I returned my attention to the ocean.

“Suit yourself.” He disappeared, leaving the fruit behind.

Somehow, this song came to mind. I don’t even know why I didn’t remember it until now. All I do remember, besides the lyrics, is that my mom really liked this song.

I sang, “Doctor, my eyes have seen the years, and the slow parade of fears without crying. Now I want to understand. I have done all that I could, to see the evil and the good, without hiding. You must help me if you can.” My mind immediately went to the Man in Black and Jacob. 

“Doctor, my eyes~. Tell me what is wrong. Was I unwise~ to leave them open for so long? ‘Cause I have wandered through this world, and as each moment unfurled, I’ve been waiting to awaken from these dreams. People go just where they will. I never noticed them until I got this feeling, that it’s later than it seems.” 

I thought of the ghosts.

“Doctor, my eyes~. Tell me what you see. I hear their cries~. Just say if it’s too late for me.” I hummed and skated out the guitar solo. “Doctor, my eyes~. They cannot see the sky. Is this the prize, for having learned how not to cry?”

I sighed. My head was currently empty. I just watched and listened to the waves.

“What were you singing?” A Spanish accented voice interrupted my train of thought. I nearly jumped. 

Turning around alarmed, I found the dark-haired man named Ricardo. Damn, I just realized that this man does not age at all from now until the time I first meet him over a century in the future. I guess his wish to be immortal actually came true.

“Uhm, I’m sorry?” Really, Rachel? He’s talking to you alone for the first time and this is what you say? Really?

“That song you were singing,'' he clarified. “It sounded nice.”

I smiled. “Uh, thanks.” My brows furrowed. “You’re Ricardo, right?” He gave me a short smile and nodded. “I’m Rachel, but you knew that.”

Ricardo glanced out at the water. “So, how did you get here?” He knows that Jacob brings people here, but I knew he meant what I was brought on.

Lie. Lie, lie, lie! “I um,” I paused. “To be honest, I’m not exactly sure. I sort of just woke up here? If that makes sense?” He shrugged and nodded. I stood. “Hey, can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“What year is it?”

Briefly, he glanced down at the sand. “It’s 1867 Or at least, that’s what I think it is.”

My eyes widened, then my brows furrowed. “‘You think?’”

He nodded. “When I left, it was 1867. I’m confident that it is still that year.”

Jeez. Seriously? Richard wasn’t kidding when he said that I had been away for more than a century.

He sat down next to me. “How long have you been here?” 

“Sixty-six days.” I glanced at him briefly as I sat back down. “I washed up here originally, but since then, I’ve moved inland.”

“Why?” He faced me with his brows furrowed. “Do you not want to be rescued?”

My eyes studied the sand beneath my feet. My bare toes dug themselves into the sand. “I’ve long since given that up.”

He pursed his lips into a frown before nodding. “Where are you from?”

”New Zealand.” He gave me a questioning look. “It’s an island English colony off the coast of Australia.” In 1840, New Zealand officially becomes a separate colony from New South Wales. New Zealand didn’t gain independence as a country until 1907. “You?”

”I’m from Spain. I came here by mistake.”

I sat straighter. “What makes you think that?”

”It’s just, I killed a man.” I blinked. He did what? “I was supposed to be executed, you see? But some Englishmen saw fit to enslave me. Now I’m here.”

I hummed, taking in his words. “Do you still believe this is Hell?”

He shrugged. “Can’t rightly say, at the moment.” His eyes looked at mine. “Do you think I’m really immoral?”

He could very well be. Jacob’s touch seemed to have done it, maybe? Why else would he touch Ricardo’s shoulder?

“Yes,” I answered. “I believe you are. Even if you left this island, you would still be immortal.”

He nodded. “Thank you, Rachel."

“Of course.”

  
  



	56. Isabella

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel finds another ghost, but she needs help in order to communicate with her.

Supposedly, it was going to be a regular day. I got up out of the leaf bedding that I wove for myself and brushed my hair with my fingers. I had fruit for breakfast. I put on my one change of clothing. After grabbing my weapon, I headed out. When I emerged from the tunnels, however, I found a woman standing there. She asked me things in Spanish, a language I didn’t understand.

“I’m sorry,” I told her. “But I can’t understand you. Give me some time?” She gave me a frustrated look. I got back into the tunnels to go back to the Temple.

I didn’t have my backpack with me, so I couldn’t draw what I saw. Once I got back home, I did. Thank the gods I still had a pencil. I drew the woman’s features knowing that I might be able to ask Ricardo about her after a while.

It’s now my seventieth day here; Ricardo’s thirty-something day. If I can get him to teach me Spanish in a way that doesn’t make me seem suspicious, then it might be good.

Or, you can just tell him out right that you saw a dark haired woman who shouted Spanish at you.

I sighed. Four days since we spoke. I might have turned sixteen already and I didn’t even know it. I most likely did, actually.

Self proclaimed birthday, yay!

Before I went out to search for Ricardo, I went to the beach to get a fish as a gift. I eventually found him in a make-shift tent in the jungle. It was a bunch of sticks and palm leaves woven together against a tree. 

“Ricardo, you in here?” I asked as I stepped towards him. 

“Yes,” he projected. He stood and walked out. “Hey.” He’s been here thirty or so days less than me. Or at least, I think.

“Hey,” I smiled. “I came to give you this fish,” I said as I held it out for him.

He grinned. “Thank you, Rachel.” The man then took it out of my hands and noticed a large slit in its middle. “Did you gut it already?”

I nodded and hummed. “I can also show you where all the fruit is if you haven’t figured that out already.”

“I’d, uh, I’d like that.”

We sat around a small campfire as I cooked the fish. 

“What was New Zealand like?” He asked me. He sat in a cross legged position. 

“Well, for one thing, it’s way hotter than here and gets less rain. It’s quite mountainous. Some of those mountains include active volcanoes, but they won’t erupt for a few hundred years. My country basically consists of two very long islands. I grew up speaking English, knowing a bit of Maori, and Korean. There’s this long-beaked flightless bird native to the islands called a kiwi. New Zealanders can also be called kiwis, that’s just a nickname.” I glanced at him. “What about Spain?”

“I lived on an islas called the Canary Islands. It was a uh, muy hermosa. I’m told that the montañas there is the highest in España. It’s very, um, forest-y? I guess you would say. There’s un grande basilica Norte de the town I used to live in.” He went quiet. 

I couldn’t help but wonder about the circumstances of his arrival. Future Richard told me he came here on a slave ship. That much is true. A while back, Ricardo told me that he killed a man. He was supposed to be executed, but placed into slavery instead. But who made the switch? Judging by how he went quiet when speaking about the basilica, I’ll go with a priest of some sort.

“Uh,” he spoke again. “Apologies, my English is not very good sometimes.”

I nodded understandingly. “It’s fine.” My eyes lit up. “Hey, maybe I can help you with your English and you can help me learn Spanish???”

He glanced into my eyes, thinking about it for a little while. “Sure. Yes, okay.”

Sixty days later (bringing my day count here to 130 and a grand total of 289), Ricardo was basically fluent in English while I was borderline fluent in Spanish. We would have conversations with each other almost every day in each other’s languages. After all, immersion is the best way to learn. Every now and then, there’d be a slip up, or we’d ask each other what a certain word meant, but that’s to be expected.

I still saw the Spanish ghost woman. She stood around with a frown hanging on her lips. She wore this pretty white dress. I still haven’t forgotten about her, but if this was the person I thought she was, I want my Spanish to be perfect.

The two of us were walking back from the beach one day. I was teaching him how to fish with a spear. Days earlier, I also taught him how to weave a basket and I helped him make a sturdier tent. In an effort to make conversation, I asked in Spanish, “[Did you have a wife?]”

He frowned, but answered, “[Yes, I did. And she was beautiful.]”

“[What happened to her?]”

He glanced down at the ground. “[She died. The doctor wouldn’t give me the medicine, saying that I didn’t have enough.]”

So… you murdered him? I asked in my mind. No way would I ask that out loud.

“What did she look like?” I asked, choosing to switch to English.

“She had long black hair and beautiful light brown eyes. Her name was Isabella.”

On my way back to the Temple, I saw her standing there. I told her, “[I think I can help you now.]”

She stepped closer to me. “[Where is he? Please it’s very important.]”

I nodded. “[Of course. Let’s go.]” I couldn’t help but ask, “[What do you need to ask him?]”

“[He buried my cross necklace, and I want to know why,]” she told me.

I found Richard by the river. “Hey!” I greeted him. 

He glanced my way and smiled. “Hey.”

As I walked up to him, my smile faded. “[You know, I just had the most interesting conversation.]”

He looked at me with concern. “With who?”

“Your wife.” His concern adapted into astonishment.

“[What? What are you talking about?]”

“[She wants to know why you buried her cross necklace.]”

He backed away, pointing. “H-how do you know about that?!”

“Because she told me.”

His eyes scrunched in confusion. “How is that possible?”

Isabella sighed. “[He doesn’t believe you.]”

Turning towards her, I said, “[Don’t worry, he will.]”

“[I will what?]” His head turned in different directions, trying to find who I was talking to.

I huffed, briefly looking down at the ground with my hands on my hips. “She’s standing right next to you, dude. To your left.”

He turns to his left with his eyes searching for someone he can’t see. “I-I don’t see her.”

She adopted a worried look before smiling. “[Tell him his English is beautiful.]”

I smiled, saying, “Well, she’s standing right in front of you. And she thinks your English is beautiful.”

“[Are you… really there?]” Ricardo asked his wife.

“[Close your eyes,]” she told him. I relayed the words back to him and he did. She kept speaking, so I kept relaying. “[It wasn’t your fault that I died, Ricardo. As much as you wanted to save me, it was my time.]” The man began to cry. Isabella placed a hand on his cheek. “[You’ve suffered enough, Ricardo.]”

“[I miss you,]” Richard told her. “[I would do anything for us to be together again.]”

“[My love, we are already together.]” she kissed him on the cheek, but I doubt he even felt it. My eyes suddenly felt glossy. Isabella soon faded away. 

Ricardo opened his eyes. “Is she gone?” He asked in a saddened tone.

“Yeah,” I told him, while glancing down at the ground.

“How did you do it?”

“Do what?”

“Speak to the dead?”

“Actually, it’s more like they speak to me.”

He frowned and walked up to me. “Rachel, I’ve been keeping something from you.”

“And that is?” I asked with a tilted head and squinted eyes.

He led me to a bench deep within the jungle. It was in somewhat of a small clearing. He knelt on the ground and dug something up. 

“I thought I had lost it,” Ricardo stated. “When I first came here. Then after I confronted Jacob, he gave it back to me and told me that if I ever changed my mind, I would be welcomed.” He stopped digging and took out Isabella’s cross. “I buried her thinking that I would never, see or speak to her again.” He placed the necklace on. “Thank you, Rachel.”

“You’re very welcome.”

We exited the clearing and went our separate ways.


	57. My Mistake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She has an interesting encounter with the MiB and an interesting encounter with Jacob.

I’ve stopped counting the days and started counting the years. It’s been four since I spoke with Isabella. I’m twenty now.

I wish I had a flashlight with me. By now, it must be back in camp in 2005 or 2007 or whatever year it actually is there. Sawyer’s massive one might do the trick, or maybe just a headlight. I hummed. It’s been a full year since I’ve seen any of my people.

Before the light disappeared, I poured over my father’s diary and my map. It was pointless, I realized, but it was also fun figuring out where DHARMA was eventually going to build stuff. I made a day of it, going around where I knew certain stations were going to be. I wondered what would happen to my things when I die. Maybe I’ll ask Richard to take care of them for me.

When I came to the cliff where I now sat, the sun began to set, but there was still information that I wanted to know. Specifically about Richard, even though I basically spent enough time with him to know the bare minimum. Yet, I knew that my father had written things in this diary that I wouldn’t have thought about.

Yet, all I found was more information of the Man in Black. According to my father, the reason he can look like anyone you know was due to a power he gained through the Heart of the Island. He can read people, look into their past, and appeal to them based on who was most impactful in their lives.

The moon provided very little light. I was thinking about packing it up and finding shelter for the night. But the Man in Black had other plans. “What are you doing up here?” the Man in Black asked me.

“Just thinking, and reviewing,” I told him, choosing to look out at the ocean.

“A long while ago, you spoke to me as if you knew things, and it’s been bugging me.” I heard a crunch under his feet. “Tell me why.”

“I don’t have to,” I stated, placing the books to the side. “Your powers suggest that you have the capability of reading people’s minds.” Finally, I faced him. “So read mine.”

He glanced into my eyes. I couldn't feel it, but I knew he could. His expression showed an entire host of emotions. “I understand,” he told me. Then he smiled. “I look forward to speaking with you again.” He then turned to smoke and disappeared.

I blinked, frowning. With furrowed brows, my mind raced. I had just shown him everything I ever experienced. And now, that could be used against me. What did I just do?

It felt like 3A.M. The air hung around mysteriously as if The Witching Hour was actually a thing. Darkness, trees, and strange bird noises surrounded me. With one hand, I held onto her bag quickly. Its contents re-including the notebooks that I previously had out. There were no thoughts in my head. Just empty regret. Let’s not forget the paranoia. My other hand gripped my spear with readiness. I wandered around aimlessly, not caring if I wound up at the Temple or the Heart.

I shouldn’t have done that. I shouldn’t have let him in. Who knows what he’ll try next. I need to keep my guard up.

“You should rest,” came Claudia’s voice. I turned to my side to find the red-clad woman standing there with her hands at her sides. “You shouldn’t go on like how you are.”

“I’m fine,” I told her, choosing to continue walking. “I’ll survive.” I frowned, knowing that I only said that because I knew that Richard would bury me. And Something told me it wouldn’t be any time soon. It left an uneasy feeling. I was trying to avoid him too.

It was morning when I wandered to the beach with the four-toed statue. I had spent the remaining hours of the night continuously wandering around. Only now have I begun to experience the effects of such an ordeal. My eyes felt heavy, and my legs felt tired. I could very well collapse.

“Rachel?” I heard Jacob’s voice. My eyes found him standing near the base of the statue. He ran over to me. “You don’t look too good.” 

I glared at him, as if asking, ‘you  _ think _ ?’ He took the backpack out of my hands and put it on his shoulders.

“Alright,” he said as he snaked his arm around my shoulder. “Let’s get you inside.”

My brows furrowed. “Inside?” I questioned. My foot stepped in the sand at a weird angle. I would have fallen to the ground if it weren’t for Jacob.

“Come on,” he urged gently. We went through a door built in the pedestal of the statue. He took me to this hollow space large enough for someone to live in. “You should really rest, you know.”

“Fine, I guess.” I said as he helped me down. I then felt a blanket as I curled into the stone.

When I awoke, I found that my spear was out of my hands. Sitting up with a startled expression, my seeing orbs dotted around the brick space. I found my wooden weapon leaning against the wall in a corner. My bag sat right beside it. I moved to grab my things, letting the blanket fall to the floor. Next, I noticed the giant tapestry. A loom stood in front of it.

The tapestry was long, only having a tarnished, almost yellowish white and black as colors. On the very top were some Greek words in all caps. Below them, a pair of wings outstretched from an encircled Eye of Horus, and what appear to be seventeen long arms emanating like rays out from the eye. Or at least, I think it’s Horus. Anyway, the hands at the ends of the arms reach for nine human figures who appear to be at the mercy of the hands, while on either side a king sits in a throne and observes. In the row below, seven human figures dance to the music of a lone harpist on the right, for eight figures total. Four water jugs sit on the floor amongst the dancers. The next three rows contained writing. Two in hieroglyphs, and one Greek line in between them. Below that, figures labor to harvest wheat. The row beneath that depicts three heavily crewed Ancient Egyptian sailboats debarking from the Island, with the giant statue in view on the Island's shore. The last piece of the tapestry held another line of Greek writing.

“You like it?” I nearly jumped at the sound of Jacob’s voice. I turned to see him standing in the doorway with a mango. “Sorry, if I spooked you.” The blonde held out his hand. “I figured you might want something to eat.”

“Um,” I said as I walked towards him. “Sure.” I took the fruit from his hands and bit into it, turning to look back at the tapestry. “When did you make that?”

“A long time ago,” he exhaled. “Now,” he took a few steps further into the room. “Why don’t you tell me why you were wandering around the island like you were?”

Yeah, no. Don’t feel like it. “Why don’t you tell me what those letters and characters mean?” I countered as I sat down, chewing on some mango. My head jerked towards the long, hanging fabric art. 

He sat down in front of me, debating his options. “The Greek lines are quotes from Homer's Odyssey. Well, two of them are, anyway. In order, they mean, ‘May the gods grant thee all thy heart’s desires,’ ‘may the gods grant thee happiness.’ The third one is… well, I’m not exactly sure. I thought it was Plato at one point, but now…” he saw the look I gave him and got to the point. “It means: only the dead have seen the end of war.”

“Do you think that’s true?” My eyes turned to those of a critic’s. My hands now held only half of the fruit.

He frowned and sat straighter. “I can’t say for sure.” His eyes adopted a serious look. “Now you answer my question.”

“You didn’t answer the other half of mine,” I argued.

“But I asked first.” This was true, but I didn’t want to tell him. We gave each other stubborn expressions.

After about a minute or so, I gave in. “Fine,” I sighed before pursing my lips. “I may have accidentally let the Man in Black look into my head and see everything.” I sounded apologetic.

“You what?” Jacob asked as he got to his knees. His eyes showed shock. 

I winced. “I know, it’s really bad.”

He looked as if to be purely in thought before asking, “Did you know deity was above us?” I shook my head. “Taweret. She was the goddess of maternity and childbirth, protector of women and children.” I scoffed, making his brows furrow. “What?”

“It’s just, from my timeline in the future, if women bare children, either they will die or their unborn child will. Sometimes both.” The blonde gave me a questioning look. “If a woman conceived here, halfway through, their immune system attacks the child as if it were a virus. The women never make it after that.” I glanced up. “But I guess, they didn’t have Taweret guarding them.”

He hummed. “Well, that puts a damper on things, but I was going to follow up with the fact that She is also the goddess of life. Even if her statue was destroyed, she can still watch over us.” His gaze became softer as he touched my shoulder. “Just, be careful, alright?”

I nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll try.” I ate the rest of the fruit before getting up to leave. Richard might be worried about me. We both live in the Temple, currently, you see? I haven’t been home in a few days, and I imagine that he would be quite worried.


	58. Time Travel’s a Bitch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Man in Black got to Richard and told him a whole bunch of shit.

I decided not to take the tunnels into the Temple. I wanted to take my time getting back to the ancient structure. The sky had darkened when I got there. However, Ricardo wasn’t there. I dropped my stuff when I realized that and ran.

What seemed like hours later, I found him on a cliff looking down at the water. “What are you doing?” I asked in a worried tone.

“Do you think if I jumped right now, I would survive the fall into the water?” He asked me, not even facing my way.

I took a few steps closer. “Well,” I thought about this for a moment. “You’re immortal. So, the impact wouldn’t kill you. But you wouldn’t drown either. I don’t know, maybe you wouldn’t be able to breathe, but you _would_ still be alive. I wouldn’t recommend trying it, by the way.”

“And why should I listen to what you say?” he asked me.

My brows furrowed. “What?”

Finally, he turned towards me. The moon’s light bounced off of his angered, upset eyes.

With a worried tone, I asked, “Oh no, what?”

“While I was out searching for you the other day, guess who came up to me.” His eyes held something I haven’t seen within him yet.

I gave him a confused glance, worried that I knew who it was. “[Who?]”

“The Man in Black.” His tone sounded borderline angry. “[You know what he said to me? That you’ve been lying to me. About everything.]” He chocked up and said in a lower tone, “[Including Isabella.]”

Whoa. I knew that the smoke guy would go to him, but he went _that_ far? That seems too far.

“Ricardo, I would never lie about that,” I told him. I stood my ground. “I would never even _think_ about what you’re insinuating. _Please._ [Step away from the ridge.]”

“I thought you wouldn’t be able to,” he admitted. “I thought, ‘no, not Rachel. She isn’t the kind of person who would manipulate me into thinking I was speaking with my dead wife.’ You know what came to mind?! ‘Huh, she _hasn’t_ been back for a few days.’”

“So you’re thinking of killing yourself?!” I questioned with outstretched arms. 

“You have no idea how much an idea planted in your head can hurt, do you? I see now that he was right. We are in Hell. I’m not _immortal_.” He pronounced that word as if it were a sickness. “If I jump now, then it will all be over.”

My body relaxed, but my voice adopted a quiver. “What else did that scheming manipulator tell you?”

He pointed an accusatory finger at me. “[That you lied about everything else!]” He began listing with his hand. “[Where you come from, how you got here.]” Making a gesture with his hands, he shouted, “[All of it!!]”

“You can’t possibly believe him,” I argued, giving him an are-you-serious? look.

“What can you tell me that makes me believe you otherwise?”

Shit! “I can’t tell you. But I can show you.”

His glare told me that he didn’t believe me. “Where?”

“The Temple.”

He frowned and fumed. “Really?”

“Yes, really. I didn’t show you everything, now did I?”

“That remains to be seen.”

I huffed, holding out a hand. “Come on. Let’s go back-” He didn’t take it. Instead he just walked straight past me.

When we reached the Temple, the sun had risen. I only noticed that he stopped walking when he spoke. 

“Alright, so where is it?”

“Be patient will you?” I asked as I went into the corridor. “Come on!”

I heard an exasperated sigh before footsteps. We went into a corridor. I knelt on the floor and pushed one of the blocks on one side. The other two corners slide out. I took the block and moved it to the side. Reaching into the small space, I found my rifle and pulled it out.

“I put this away when I ran out of bullets,” I told him, looking through the magazine. Some dust had gotten in there so I blew it out.

“Is that a rifle?” Ricardo asked as he knelt down to look at it.

I nodded and hummed. “It’s at least one from the year 1970 or so.”

“1970?!” The dark haired man looked at me amazed. “That’s impossible.”

“Yeah,” I said in a downbeat tone. I then took my backpack off and fished through it to find mine and my father’s diary. “This belonged to my father. Pay specific attention to the dates.”

“October 12, 1975,” he mumbled, flipping through the pages as he stood. “November 13, 1980. December 1, 1983.” He paused. “September 22, 2004. The plane crash.” He peered at me and asked, “What’s a plane?”

I stood abruptly. “It’s a flying vehicle invented in the early 1900s. It’s mostly now used to carry people from place to place. Mine just so happened to crash on this island.”

His face scrunched with confusion. “I haven’t seen any wreckage other than the ship that brought me here.”

“That’s because it crashed here in the year 2004. Forty or so passengers made camp on a beach of _this_ island for ninety days before an event made the island glow. The giant rock we stand on pulled me to a month or so before your ship got here.” His gaze told me that he needed more of an explanation. “I didn’t lie about coming from New Zealand. I didn’t lie about suddenly waking up here. And I certainly didn’t lie about speaking with Isabella.” My glossy eyes searched through his. “Why don’t you read it? Half of this book is written by my father. I made all kinds of annotations to it. The other half is written by me, right up until the Island dropped me off in 1867.”

I then placed my pack back onto my shoulders and began to walk away from him. He called out, “Where do I find you when I finish?”

“By the river!” I responded.

I sat on a log with my sketchbook on my lap. I drew the Man in Black. I was done with the head, neck, shoulders, arms, and torso (with the black shirt) when I heard my subject speak.

“That’s a good likeness,” he told me as he peered over my shoulder. I lifted my arm and elbowed him in the throat. He groaned and coughed while stepping back, rubbing his Adam's apple. Then he laughed. “Like my little challenge?”

Angered, I faced him. “Challenge?! How dare you!! You might have ruined the only friendship I had on this island.”

“Relax, Rachel,” he told me with his arms up, open-palmed. “I just wanted you to see how easy it is to corrupt people. You brought this on yourself anyway. You gave me the ammunition.” He smirked. “Soon enough, you _will_ be on my team.”

“Go away,” I sighed tiredly. He chuckled before turning into black smoke and floating away.

Hours later, I saw Ricardo jog up to me shouting my name. 

“So,” I began to say. “I-“

“I’m sorry,” he told me. “I believe you.”

I exhaled. “Thank the gods,” I muttered. We hugged for a good long while.

By nightfall, the two of us laid down on our leaf bedding. We weren’t right next to each other, but far enough away that we could hear. The two of us stared up at the starry night sky. As it turned out, neither of us could get some shut eye. We spent two days fully awake. Now that we wanted to sleep, we couldn’t.

So, I started singing Blue Mind by Alexi Murdoch. The coolness of the air helped provide a good atmosphere. “Got no timmme, got no mind~, for the linnnne in my life~. No time to think, time for sleep now. Time to sink way into blue~, dear. 

“So watch your time~. Time descends. Let it spill quietly, from your hand~. Oh, and the time is at hand. When all things under the sky, go free of time. Time is passing you by-y. Got no time.

“And I am driftinnnngg, Ooo~. Yes I am driftinnngg, Ooo~. Remember when you were only a child. Remember when you were only a child. Remember when you were only a child, and start to see with your blue mind. Start to see with your blue mind. Don’t be afraid of what you find. Stop your crying. No, don’t be afraid of what you find. Stop your crying.

“‘Cause I am driftinnngg, Ooo~. Yes, I am driftinnngg, Ooo~. Slowly, slowly I am drifting. Slowly, slowly I am drifting. Slowly, slowly I am drifting. Slowly, slowly I am drifting.”


	59. Gorram Sunlight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel wants to get out of the Temple

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys help me! I can't listen to the soundtrack of Come From Away without thinking of Lost!

The bright golden rays willed me to open my eyes. It wasn’t harsh but inviting. That was probably due to the amount of tree coverage that blocked it. Sitting up, I found Ricardo not there. A mere shape of him left in the bedding he got out of some time ago. I stretched, taking in my surroundings. Most of our other belongings lay strewn about. The Temple was starting to get boring now. I was tired, looking at the same grey-brown stone walls for years on end. And trust me, I’ve lived here for about seven years. It’s 1874. I’m twenty-three and I’m pretty sure it’s the beginning of October.

Ricardo came into view. He held a bunch of mangoes in his hands. “Good morning,” he stated. His head blocked out the sun. He had this faint smile that almost crinkled his eyes. “I went out to find some breakfast.” The man handed me two of the fruits. His posture seemed relaxed, though I doubt he would be once we left these walls.

“Thank you,” I stated, taking a bite out of one. I stared up at him. His skin was tanner than mine, sunburns a lot less easily. His hair was messy and had this slight curl to it. Stubble was beginning to regrow. His milk-chocolate eyes began to scan over one of my books. I would be blind if I were to say he wasn’t attractive. That doesn’t mean I’m in love with him, though.

But every time I go down that path I think about Elena. My heart would sink a little. Gods I wished she were still alive. Yet, I don’t know who I’d rather be with. On one hand, I’ve been living with Ricardo on this damn island for seven years. And it’s been great, considering everything going on. On the other hand, I grew up with Elena. We spent almost all of our childhood together. 

After I finished my fruit, I stood and stretched. “I feel like taking a very long walk,” I stated, gathering my things. “How ‘bout you?”

He debated it in his head as he marked his page and set the book down. “Sure. Let’s go.”

———

After a frequent knocking on the door brought me off the couch, I swung the door open to find Kaylee. (She’s the friend who actually liked school dances). The teen held her sweater as if trying to hug herself.

“Kaylee?” I asked, rubbing my eyes. “What are you doing here?” It was fricking 10 pm on a Saturday. The only reason I was up was due to a book. Joey had been sent to bed. Our parents were currently away at some dinner party.

Kaylee peered behind her shoulders before stepping in. Seeing her concerned face, I immediately shut the door.

“Listen, someone was following me,” she said as we sat down at my kitchen table.

My brows knit together. “And you were out because?” 

“I was just getting a last-minute grocery run. We needed some milk.” Her hands grabbed each other on the table. “On my way home, I got this weird feeling. Then I realized someone—some shady guy—was following me.” She then looked apologetic. “Y-your house was closer than mine.”

“Of course,” I said as I stood. I opened the fridge and took out one of those packets of chocolate chip cookies. All they needed was to be warmed in the oven. “Want some?” I asked as I chopped four squares from the group.

“Yes please,” Kaylee stated, excited about chocolate chip cookies.

———

I should have been watching where I was going in the first place, but I was too busy taking in the sights of the jungle. I wanted to get to a spot in the mountain range that was flat and high. The tree coverage made it shady almost everywhere. That included the Temple.

The way Ricardo’s eyes scanned the area was different. I tried to see the beauty in it all. Sure, some scary shadow guy was hanging around here, but that was a dark part of life that I didn’t want to dwell on. My Spanish friend, however, regarded this place with a certain disdain. He’s ever so wary of the Man in Black and every other danger that may prevent itself. 

Yet when he looked at me, his gaze softened. It was as if I was the only light on this giant dark rock. Once our eyes met, he would do one of two things: immediately glance away, or smile.

Anyway, I was walking, and apparently, I didn’t see the root that I tripped over. A small gasp escaped my lips. I probably would have fallen flat on my face if it weren’t for Ricardo’s strong arms steadying me. “Gorram tree root!” I muttered.

Looking over at my friend, I saw confusion. “Gorram?” His brows furrowed.

“It’s just slang for god damn,” I answered him. 

“Is it common slang where you come from?” He questioned as we kept walking. He took a large step over the roots I tripped on.

I smiled while huffing out a laugh. “No, no, it comes from a TV show.”

“TV,” he tried to remember what that was. “That’s that weird thing you were telling me about earlier, right, with the large technological contraptions?” My lips became a thin line as I nodded.

“Yep,” I confirmed. “They record scenes on a video camera and stitch some of it together. TV shows are those stitched together scenes airing in different parts on the,” I almost faltered. “Technological contraption.”

He hummed as he nodded. I knew that he would have to see one to fully understand it. Too bad that wouldn’t happen for a long while. “What does TV stand for again?”

“Television.” I decided to continue explaining where I heard the word from. “I heard about this particular show from my cousins. Firefly, it was called.”

“What was it about?”

I frowned, not looking at him for a few seconds. How do I explain space travel to someone from the late 1800s??? Maybe I shouldn’t? 

Exhaling, I said, “It’s about these people who live on a Firefly-class ship,” I told him. “They’re kind of like pirates.”

“Oh,” he accepted, nodding his head. “Wait, what do you mean by a ‘Firefly-class ship?’”

I inwardly sighed, thinking: Okay, Ricardo, get ready for another shock. “It’s a type of spaceship.” My tone would have suggested that I was unsure about what it was. Yet, the only thing I was unsure about was how I would tell him this in a way that made sense.

He looked at me skeptically. “Spaceship?”

I nodded. “Yep. A ship that can travel through the stars.”

Shock and awe developed on his face. “People can travel through the stars in 2004?”

“Yeah-” I caught myself. “Not very well though. In the 1960s, the United States and Russia competed to see who would put the first person in space to orbit the Earth, and to see who could land on the moon first. Ever since then, we’ve been trying to reach Mars, but to no current avail.”

I would have thought that all this talk of space travel would either weird him out or something like that. I wasn’t sure if he was even ready to even learn that this kind of thing happened. Then again, would anyone be ready to hear anything about this island who hasn’t been previously aware of it? But he genuinely seemed curious. I could tell that he was listening intently as well. He kept eye contact with me, gave small nods, smiled, and asked questions. 

———

As Kaylee and I are our cookies, silence mostly passed between us. She sipped on a glass of milk that I gave her before speaking. “So, when are you going to tell her?”

I gave her a questioning look.

She gave me that stare that read: Really? “Don’t play dumb with me. You know who I’m talking about.”

I quirked a brow. “Do I?”

She sighed. “Jacob, Jason, and I see it, you know. The way you look at her.” My lips pursed as I chose to study my cabinets. “Jeez, Rachel, we’re in ninth grade. We’re grown enough to accept who you are. The rest of the school shouldn’t matter.”

“It’s not them I’m worried about,” I blurted out.

———

I almost frowned at the memory. One of my school friends shared a name with the powerful being that protected this island. But, oh well. What can you do? It’s not like that was planned or anything. Okay, quiet down brain.

A small part of me wished that my family was never murdered. Because then, Elena and I would still be in New Zealand; safe and alive. But if they were never murdered, we wouldn’t have gone on a flight that my aunt stupidly booked. (We could have flown from New Zealand to LA, but oh well). And if we never got on that trip, then I wouldn’t have ever met the passengers or The Others, or probably even known where my dad came from. Plus, I wouldn’t be stuck in this time with Ricardo.

Come on, idiot. You promised yourself you wouldn’t dwell on the past. Come on, focus on the present!

Finally, the trees came to an end. I smiled as I transitioned from shade to sunlight. My skin felt warm. It wasn’t overbearing, but enough for me to enjoy it. At this moment, I loved it up here. Ricardo’s light expression made me smile wider.

The tall grass swayed in the wind, making a rustling sound. There were a few purple flowers in bloom. Everything about this scene was unlike anything from the hiking trails in New Zealand and California. Well, except for our hair moving in the wind. The breeze smelled like the ocean and had a coolness to it. It was so beautiful up here. I’m not sure if I’ve ever been so content to be anywhere in my life.

  
  



	60. Latin Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Man in Black tries another tactic for getting Rachel to join him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As it stands, there are 328 or so pages of this in my google docs.

I felt like I was fifteen again. My feet stepped through a creepy, foggy jungle. My eyes held curiosity as I wandered about. I could only see about a few meters in each direction. The thick fog concealed anything above that radius. I didn’t know if I was going to collide with a tree or trip on a root. After wandering around aimlessly, I felt a strange presence. The weird, familiar feeling of a shadow. I caught glimpses of it. The smoke swiftly floated around me in circles. Some of his essences evaporated off of him in waves. He was one fluid shape. After all, he had no physical body. That currently was a corpse in the cave. 

The smoke caught me in surprise when it broke the circle and barrel right towards me. I thought that this was probably it. He was going to kill me right here and now. The smoke halted for a long moment. I stood there in curiously worried silence. It reminded me of the time when I was fifteen and in the forest alone. I had stood my ground then and I’ll do that again. The smoke engulfed me. I felt as if I was floating. 

Why was this happening? Some woman spoke to me in Latin. Or at least, I hoped it was Latin. Next, she shouted something at the smoke. No, not shouted, screamed. I could barely hear the strange noise of the smoke over her noise.

“Rachel!”

“Rachel!” My eyes snapped open. Back to reality. Ricardo's hands gripping my arms. Presumably, he tried to shake me awake. He breathed out a sigh of relief. 

That’s when I noticed the sky. It was still dark out, and the fire was still going. No fog in sight. “Have you slept?” I asked him. 

“No,” he admitted as he let go of me. “I couldn’t.” The Spaniard sat down across from me. “Had nightmares of my own.”

I frowned. “About?”

“You.” He didn’t look in my direction. “And Isabella.”

I sat up and checked my surroundings. We were still at our little camp by the stream. I then noticed the book he had picked up again. “Can you… read to me? It’ll pass the time. We can forget our troubles for just a moment.” I knew he wasn’t going to go into detail about his nightmares. He didn’t expect me to open up about mine. 

A faint smile crept up on his lips. “Sure. Come here.” I snuggled up against his side as he wrapped one arm around me. He read to me the words of Princess Bride. With one hand he held the book. The other rested on me, giving me soothing touches before it had to turn a page.

We’ve been at this stream for almost a month. Our camp only consisted of bedding and a fire. I almost wished we had tarps or long sheets of cloth we could use for a tent. But alas, there was none. For now, I was content with just the bedding.

I thought that it was almost strange how we’ve lived together for years on end and never fought. Well, unless you count that time on the cliff. Although, that was probably for the best. We were the only two humans on this rock. The other beings were a god and a smoke demon. What a joy that is. I inwardly rolled my eyes.

Ricardo was halfway through the chapter called, “The Shrieking Eels” when I decided to doze off again.

When I woke up, I found myself alone. Knowing Ricardo had gone out to gather some food, I got myself ready for the day. The woman’s words from my dream stuck in my head. It was a sentence. There were repeating syllables. “Omnis quaeris quaestionem modo ne ad plures interrogationes.” But what did that mean? And the other phrase? “Hiberent!” What’s its significance?

It felt like an hour. Ricardo still isn’t back yet. Wondering if anything happened to him, I wandered off into the jungle. He couldn’t be far. Or at least, I hoped he couldn’t.

A few minutes later, I found him. Or at least, what was left of him. I fell to my knees as I gazed at his lacerated body. The cuts were deep and all over his body. He wasn’t breathing. 

“ _This..._ is _your_ fault,” the Man in Black told me as he appeared behind me.

I stood and turned towards him, immediately stepping back to gain distance. “What did you do?” My voice shook unintentionally. I knew this wasn’t right. Ricardo couldn’t have died. Jacob made him immortal.

“Something you pushed me to do,” he said, stepping towards me. “I mean...” his lips pursed as his eyes darted to Richard. “Not exactly.” He looked me dead in the eyes. “But it _could_ happen.” He huffed into a smile. “All you have to do is join me.”

My voice had laced itself with malice. “I will _never_ join you.” He didn’t get a chance to respond. A blinding light brought me back to the conscience world.

“Rachel, are you okay?” Ricardo asked me. He leaned over me. His hands were placed on my shoulders. He had tried to wake me up again. “You were sweating and making faces in your sleep.”

I felt so relieved. He was alive. He was here. Ricardo was right in front of me. I exhaled with content. The man spoke my name again and I couldn’t hold them back. The all too familiar salty liquid spilled from my eyes.

“Hey,” Richard said as his eyes flicked back and forth between mine. His optics filled themselves with concern. A hand crept up on my cheek to wipe away my tears. “It’s okay.” His strong arms drew me up into a tight embrace. “You’re okay.”

I sobbed into him. This lasted a long while. As the water spilled, I kept repeating a phrase to myself mentally. “It’s okay. He’s alive.” I don’t think I calmed down until at least thirty minutes of crying my eyes out.

“Rachel,” he said gently. His eyes held the same level of it, but there was also concern mixed in. “What did you see?” 

I told him what happened in the first dream with the Latin in it. I told him how spooky the night was. 

“What exactly did she say?” He asked me.

I peered at him slightly. “Do you know Latin?”

He nodded. “Yes.”

“Uh.” Okay. What did she say? “‘Omnis quaeris quaestionem modo ne ad plures interrogationes.’ And, ‘Hiberent.’ She shouted it.”

He sat there, silent for a moment. “Every question you ask will only lead to more questions.”

“What?”

“That’s what she said.” 

My eyes squinted. I frowned. “Well that’s helpful,” I grumbled, studying the grass. “What was the other phrase?”

His lips tightened slightly. “Stop it, or this.”

“She was trying to help me…” I gathered, trying to figure out who. It didn’t sound like Claudia. I wondered if it could have been that woman. The one the Man in Black stabbed. So, I have a voice, but not a face. It could have been anyone really. “When I woke up in the middle of the night and you read The Princess Bride, was that real?”

He smiled slightly then frowned, realizing why I would ask such a thing. “Yes. Of course, it was real.” His eyes darted between mine again as I breathed out a sigh of relief. “What was the other dream about?”

The one dream I was scared to tell him. I could feel the tears welling up. Reluctantly, I told him about him being missing. I told him how I found his body. I felt his arms tighten around me as I began to sob again. Lastly, I told him about the Man in Black.

I could see the pain in his eyes when he told me, “Mine was similar.”

So he was trying to turn both of us. Or at least, get us riled up. “You don’t have to go into detail, Ricardo.”

Questions still lingered in my mind. Just who was the woman? And why now of all times? Why this one attempt? I huffed. Perhaps those questions will never be answered.

We walked for a while, deciding to leave the creak. We walked next to each other most of the way. Sometimes, our hands brushed each others. Hours in, we found a well. There were stones, a rope, and wood to relay the rope, but no bucket. The hole was filled with dirt, though. Ricardo and I shared a glance; our brows both raised in question. Stepping into the well, I knelt down to feel the brown, cakey, earth.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” said a familiar voice. We turned around to see Jacob.

“It-it’s filled with dirt,” I said as I hopped out. I don’t know why I felt the need to state the obvious, but the words slipped out of my mouth before I could think.

His hand gestured to the stone. “That used to lead to a dangerous mechanism. You could have gotten stuck down there.”

“What kind of mechanism?” I asked as I leaned against the stone.

Jacob eyed me warily as he stepped closer. “One you shouldn’t mess around with. It could become very unstable.” The blonde studied our eyes and he apologized. He apologized. Maybe he could tell what we had witnessed. Maybe he felt as if he interrupted our curiosity.

Once Jacob disappeared, I scoffed. Whoever that woman was, she was right. Every question you ask will only lead you to more questions.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhh, hey. So, I may not be posting in a little while. Personal stuff is going down.


	61. Down Come The Rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess what guyyyyss! I’m back!!!
> 
> Also, at the end of this chapter, there’s going to be a POV change. Just, FYI.
> 
> Also... this is now the longest chapter...

So, I just realized something. I’m twenty-five now, if you can believe it. That makes this year 1876 or so. Damn. I outlived Shannon. Didn’t think that was going to happen. I mean, fuck. I wondered if Walt was still alive. He was the youngest. The not-so-little dude would be wandering around somewhere. Probably in America. He has no business coming back to the island and I doubt he ever will.

I sighed. Micheal probably died when the freighter exploded. Walt might never know what happened to him. Maybe it was better that way.

I outlived Elena too. By a long shot, really. She was sixteen when the plane crashed. A wave of emotions crashed into me. Alex was sixteen when she died.

Heck, maybe I’ve outlived Boone, too. Can’t say for sure, though. I mean, I knew that he was older than Shannon, but I didn’t know by how much. I assume it to be only a few years.

I’ve outlived all these people. I know Korean, Spanish, _and_ a little bit of Latin. I mean, who else could say that?

I stared out into the trees that surrounded the small clearing in which we camped. The night was silent save for the crackling of the fire and the noises of nighttime critters. We sat next to each other as we faced the fire. A moth flew right into the flame. 

We had killed a boar and eaten it about an hour ago. The rain started maybe thirty minutes after that. Ricardo moved for cover while I welcomed the downpour. I had grown so used to just being in the rain. My friend, however, still had the instinct to run for cover. He stood under a tree that heavily shielded the ground from rain.

Thinking of something, I smiled at Richardus. “What lies in the shadow of the statue?” I asked in a projected voice.

He looked at me confused. “What?” He asked. I stood and walked over to him. Next, I repeated my question. He took a bite. “Okay, what does lie in the shadow of the statue?”

“Ille qui nos omnes servabit.” I wasn’t even sure if I frased it right. Latin is tricky.

“‘He who will protect us all?’” Richardus translated.

“Yeah.”

His eyes squinted only for a moment. “I get _who_ we’re talking about, but why in this way?”

My lips pursed before I shrugged. “Think of it as a way to identify Jacob’s followers???” My fingers snapped. “Oh! Maybe you could teach your people Latin when they get here!”

He almost smiled. “You keep telling me about ‘my people’ and I still don’t know what to think, do, or expect when they get here. Or even how to prepare for them.”

I shrugged again. “You’ll think of something.”

Thankfully, the rain only lasted what felt like twenty minutes. We were both soaked and had no towels to dry us. After I rekindled the flame, Ricardo and I sat close to each other. This time, not for comfort or the want to just be close to someone, but to try and keep warm.

When it rained again, I sighed. I can only hold out in the rain for so long. Standing up with my pack on my shoulders I said, “I know a place where we can find cover. It’s not all far from here.”

Once we got to the cave I felt relieved. I knew the Spaniard did too. Though I knew it was for different reasons. I was happy just to be here again. He was happy just to be rid of the rain. Thankfully, he hasn’t seen the corpses yet. I’d like to keep it that way. I started a fire with wood I had previously stored there. It didn’t take long to build it up. 

I walked over to the small spring and collected water in the empty plastic bottles. Richardus thinks it’s amazing that we can bottle and store the liquid. Glancing into the water’s small pool, I looked my hair over. It was longer than I wanted it to be: down to my waist.

I capped the bottles and went straight for my knife. It was in my bag’s front most pocket. I stole it from corpses on the Black Rock. Every time I go there to have a look around, Ricardo doesn’t go with me. It’s understandable.

Anyway, I measured the length I wanted with my fingers and sliced the rest off. After everything was how I wanted it, I threw my cut strands into the flame. 

“(What do you think?)” I asked Ricardo in Latin.

He glanced up from the book I gave him, _The Foghorn_ by Ray Bradbury. “I think it looks nice.” I smiled.

I studied him a little. “You know, your hair reaches just past your shoulders now.”

He didn’t react. “So?” 

“Do you want it cut?” I walked towards him, holding the knife. As I sat down, I questioned, “Or are you just going to keep growing it out and put it into a man bun?” 

He gave me a weird look. “Man bun?”

I forgot for a while that we weren’t from the same timeline. “I-It’s when a guy puts his hair in a bun,” I told him.

He shrugged. “How would I look with a man bun?”

I pondered this for a moment. After a little while, I decided to find out myself. So, I placed the knife in my pockets and took his hair in my hands. Then, I gathered it behind him in a high bun. Keeping my fingers there to keep it in place, I stepped back slightly.

My lips pursed. “No,” I decided, taking my hand away.

“No?” Ricardo quirked a brow. 

I shook my head. “Doesn’t look good.”

“Oh.” He glanced down for a moment.

“Why, did you want it to?” I smiled, almost about to laugh.

The Spaniard shrugged again with a frown. “Maybe.”

This time I did laugh. It was short, closely resembling a giggle. He chuckled.

While Ricardo slept, I walked up to the corpses. Maybe I could figure out how they died, even though it’s more Miles’ thing. I went towards the one to my left. With unsteady hands I touched the bones. 

I saw a woman. She had brown curly hair, brown eyes, and she wore yellow. I saw the pain in her face when a man dressed in black stabbed her. Immediately I withdrew my hands.

I walked to the other one cautiously. Placing my hands on them, I received another vision. I saw Jacob and the Man in Black in a shouting match. Jacob looked so angry. He pushed his brother into the heart. In the next few seconds, black smoke arose from the well, leaving his body behind.

With a gasp I stepped back. In no way was I mentally prepared for that whatsoever. And who was that lady? I could only assume that she was the former Protector of the island. 

Looking back at Ricardo, I saw that he was still asleep. I didn’t want to bother him, so I went outside. The rain turned to drizzle. The full moon peaked through the thin clouds.

Once I was far enough away, I shouted, “Claudia!” I thought that if I could reach out to her, I could make sense of what I saw.

“Yes, Rachel?” The Roman asked as she appeared. Sometimes, if I wanted to speak to a ghost, I could just think of them and they’d appear. Of course, that would only work if I met them first. It happened a couple of times with the other Romans. I asked them what the Man in Black was like while they were still alive. 

“Those bodies in the cave,” I paused. The brunette nodded. “Are they who I think they are?”

“If you mean the former Protector and my son’s body, then yes,” she answered as she stepped towards me. Her eyes searched mine. She touched my arm. “What happened?”

“I touched them, and then I saw how they died,” I tried not to let my voice shake.

She stood straight. “Why did you ask me if you already knew?”

“I just wanted to make sure.”

“Good. You’re still as smart as I thought you were,” she smirked. I frowned. Shit. This wasn’t Claudia. This was the Man in Black. “You’ve held out for so long and I’m not sure how you’ve done it. We’re all doomed here. You and Richard are prisoners as much as I am, so why don’t you join me? You can leave.” He stepped closer to me. “Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted?”

“Not anymore,” I told him, standing tall. “And you can’t persuade me otherwise. Besides, if I wanted off this rock, I’d build a raft.”

He turned into Elena. “Are you sure she can’t help persuade you?” He used her voice and played with her hair.

Why? I frowned for a small moment. “You know what? Fuck you.” Anger showed in my eyes. “How dare you take her form!”

“Rachel, I thought you would be happy to see her,” she pouted. The monster smirked again. “After all, didn’t you have a huge crush on her?”

I glared at him. “Just go away.”

“I’m afraid I won’t do that, Rachel.” I didn’t have time to say anything. He immediately turned into the smoke and lifted me off the ground.

Shit! Gods fucking damnit!!

“Ricardo!!” I shouted as I was dragged away. I didn’t know if he heard me. “RICARDO!!!” 

“Rachel!” I heard his response. He ran after me.

The smoke began to pick up speed. Ricardo couldn’t keep up.

Let me tell you something. The Smoke travels fast. When I say fast, I mean really heckin’ fast. He set me down in a deep tunnel underneath the Temple wall. Even when he changed forms (back to his original self), he didn’t let go of me.

“What are you doing?!” I asked as I struggled to get out of his grip. This section of the tunnels was unfamiliar to me. I guess I should have explored what was under the walls too. Looking behind me, I found light coming through a broken corner. 

“The Heart of the Island made me into the smoke, you saw this in your vision.” My eyes squinted, wondering how he knew that. Then I remembered he was a psychic. “But in doing so, it gave me too much of itself. I’m a carrier, you see. I can transfer some of it into you however I want. And given that I came in contact with you a few years ago, the change had already begun.”

My eyes widened as I tried to get away from him again. The monster smirked again and let go of me.

“The last person who got this,” he continued. “Their personality changed drastically. I wonder how yours will.”

I heard the rain pour once again. Panic filled my brain. My mind filled up with all these thoughts: What’s happening? Is this really going on? What will I turn into? Oh, gods, what if I become a psychopath? What if I kill Ricardo?! Was this his plan all along? I braced myself against the wall.

I then remembered that day—five years ago—when Jacob’s hand touched my shoulder. Not just that, he touched the mango he offered me. If a touch by Jacob can make Ricardo immortal? Then what did it do for me?

And what’s to say whatever Smokey here is talking about is even real? This man is, after all, a master manipulator. 

“Your little sickness won’t work,” I told him. Maybe this wasn’t the best plan, but I couldn’t fool him into thinking that I changed even if I tried.

He tilted his head slightly. “Oh, yeah? How’s that?”

“You’ve been in contact with me for a long time. And you,” I gestured towards him. “Haven’t infected me. How quickly did the other guy turn? Huh? Or was that just a lie to psych me out?” My glare was a mix of emotions. 

“He didn’t realize that he changed, but he did.”

“Well, I guess I should thank Jacob.” I smiled at his frustration, however brief. “He gave me a gift. Well, first it was food, then it was a touch. You may have gotten to me first in the future, but he fixed me. And I can’t be turned again.”

The Man in Black frowned. His eyes told me he knew what I spoke of. “Well then,” said he as he stepped towards me. I backed away. “I wonder what would happen if I did this!” 

He took out the knife I didn’t catch him stealing from my pocket. In the next instant, I felt a sharp pain in my diaphragm. I gasped at the shock of it all. My breathing became tapered. My heart palpated. Next, he pulled it out and watched me fall to the stone floor. 

“Oh,” he said in a disappointed tone. “I guess he didn’t exactly save you, did he?” The man knelt down. “I wanted to keep you alive. I really did. You’re my challenge, after all. _And,_ after all these years, you never joined me. And well,” he huffed. It almost sounded like a laugh. “Now, you’re useless to me.” Without another word, he turned back into smoke and fled.

I was left in the tunnels, bleeding out. This was it, I realized. This was when it would happen. Somehow, I felt like I wasn’t ready. Then again, who ever really is?

  
  
  
  
  


“RACHEL?!” Ricardo screamed as he ran to the cliff. “RACHEL?!” I heard his feet. They were heavy. His shoes made a harsh sound with the rocks. 

Even though my diaphragm hurt, I felt the need to shout. “Ricardo!” It probably sounded weak, but at least I still had a voice.

“Rachel!” He yelled as he sprinted towards me. He picked up my dying, laying form. My lips curled upwards when his face came into view.

“Hey,” I greeted. My voice was barely above a whisper.

“[What happened?]” he asked in Spanish.

“[He tried to get me to join him.]” I explained. “I wouldn’t, even though he infected me with this weird sickness.” My breaths turned into wheezes. “It was supposed to change me, but thanks to Jacob, it never did. When he realized this, he stabbed me with my knife.”

“Let’s take you back to the healing spring,” Ricardo decided as he began to pick me up. I had nearly forgotten that I told him about the spring a while ago. Not to mention, he read about it in my journal.

My hand weakly grasped his clothing. “Ricardo, I’m okay.”

He began tearing up. “What are you talking about? You’re dying. What-“

“Let me go, Richard,” I said. “We won’t make it there in time. I don’t know how this tunnel gets into the structure, and I’ve been laying here alone for a long while.” This was true. Even if we were close, I felt so incredibly weak. If we do make it, however, there’s no guarantee that going into it a second time would work.

“Don’t say that,” he told me as he resumed course. “You can still make it.” I shook my head.

“No, Ricardo.” I gave him a soft gaze. “It’s OK. Let me go.”

He stood there for a long moment shaking. He fell to his knees. Tears cascaded down his face. “I-I can’t. I’m not ready to survive here alone, _please_. I-“ Despite this moment, he couldn’t bring himself to say it. Weakly, I placed a hand on his cheek and wiped the salty water away. I gave him this lopsided smile.

“When the people come, advise them. Okay?” My eyes flicked between his as I nodded. “You’ll be great.” I wiped away another shed tear. 

“I-I don’t think I’ll be able to do it without you by my side.”

“I’m not immortal, Ricardo. Please, don’t ask Jacob to make me. And whatever happens, happens.” I smiled at him one more time. “You’ll be okay.”

Ricardo brought me closer to him and kissed me on my forehead. The last thing I felt was the tightness of his embrace, rocking slightly as he sobbed.

———

An anger welled up inside him. An anger he hadn’t felt since his wife was dying. Yet somehow, this felt different. He buried her, never taking a break. It was dawn when he finally carved her name onto the wooden cross.

Hearing footsteps, Ricardo turned around to find the Man in Black. The immortal’s anger spilled out into his voice. “YOU DID THIS!!!” His grip on Rachel’s knife tightened.

“Ricardo, I-“ he tried to gain some civility.

“WHY ARE YOU HERE?!?!?!” He walked towards The Man who backed up, eyeing the knife.

With his hands up, the Man in Black told him, “This could have been avoided if you both joined me.” He made a small gesture to the Spaniard. “You still can.” He resumed backing away. “And if you ever change your mind, bring me the drawing Rachel did of me, and we’ll talk.”

Ricardo blinked and the man was gone.

After he finished putting her grave together, he just sat there for a while, wallowing. Why did it have to be her?

He felt a hand on his shoulder. “I truly am sorry, Ricardo,” Jacob told him. He didn’t answer the all powerful being. The two of them just existed in silence as they mourned her.


	62. Mediumship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three people with the power of Mediumship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The third person POV is still on.

Miles: 

The first time Miles found Rachel’s grave, it was by accident. He was making his patrols around DHARMA territory when he spotted a grave not too far from the path. A little curious, he hopped out of his van and walked over to it. A name was inscribed on the wooden cross. Once he got closer, he realized who it was. Shocked and a little freaked out, he touched the soil that sat on top of Rachel’s body. The first thoughts that ran through his head were along the lines of this: Holy crap! What the hell? When did she die? She didn’t exactly hop through time with us, except for that one time with the statue, but still. She was just a teenager, wasn’t she?

Miles saw how she died: stabbed by a man dressed in black with a sinister expression. She bled out for a while. When that guy -- what was his name? Richard? Ricardo? -- showed up, she died in his arms. She accepted it, and Richard tried not to. Her last thoughts were about a girl named Elena, and how she wished good things for Richard.

Straume sighed, sitting there for a moment. He wondered if he should tell LaFleur. The man seemed close to her, after all. And Jin seemed close to her as well. Or, should he keep quiet about this and let them lead their happy-ish DHARMA lives?

The snap of a twig brought Miles back to reality. He turned his head to find Richard standing there. “You shouldn’t be here,” he told the seemingly immortal being. God, he hasn’t aged a day since the ‘50s. “This is DHARMA territory.”

“It wasn’t when I buried her,” the man told him, choosing to keep his distance. He had the eyes of a man with regret. Miles thought that maybe he regretted not taking her to the Spring. Maybe he beat himself up over her death. When they were just a few feet apart, Richard recognized him. “You were one of the ones who disappeared.” Miles kept a blank face. “At my people’s camp, we captured you and then you disappeared.”

“Yeah,” Miles sighed as he stood. “Well, as a friend of mine once said, ‘Time travel’s a bitch.’”

The immortal lips curled up. “I didn’t believe it at first when she told me she was from the future, but I guess it really is true.” He studied Miles’ posture. “How did you know Rachel?”

Miles debated whether or not he should tell this man anything. After all, he is an Other -- er, a Hostile. He doesn’t seem all that hostile now, however. “I stumbled upon her group.” His lips pursed into a frown. “I didn’t get to know her all that well.”

Richard studied the ground for a small moment. “Rachel was…” he exhaled. “An amazing person.”

Miles glanced at his van. “I’m going to go,” he said out loud. “I won’t tell them that I saw you on patrol.”

As he stepped inside the vehicle, Richard muttered, “Thank you.”

Miles never told Jim or Jin about the grave.

Hurley:

When Hurley first saw her ghost, he was at the mental hospital. This was after he became one of the Oceanic Six and committed a crime which landed him back inside. Hurley attempted to paint something when he noticed Auburn hair in his peripheral vision. Turning his head to the right, he found Rachel standing there.

“That looks pretty good, Hurley,” she complimented him as she tucked a few stray hairs behind her ears.

His eyes widened as he abruptly stood. “Rachel?! What are you doing here?!”

Her lips pursed as she shoved her hands into her pockets. “I’m dead, Hurley. When I told you this in 19-something-or-other, you didn’t seem surprised. So I guess time travel’s a bitch.”

He peered at her strangely. “What do you mean by ‘time travel?’” 

The redhead shrugged. “You’ll have to figure that out for yourself.” Stepping away she said, “I’ll see you around.” She frowned, stopped, and turned around. “Or rather, you’ll see _me_ around.” She then disappeared.

The second time Hurley found her ghost, the group was on their way to detonate a hydrogen bomb at the Swan site. Jack and Sawyer were discussing this matter somewhere in the jungle.

Rachel appeared trying to speak with Miles. “Miles,” she said sternly. “Can you hear me?” 

“Whoa, dude,” said Hurley as he stood up, staring at her. “He’s not going to see you, his powers don’t work like that.”

“What did you say?” Jin asked him as he stood, beginning to scan the surrounding area.

She sighed. “Well, at least you can see me.”

“When you approached me a while ago, you knew-” he stopped himself, realizing something.

“Time travel’s a bitch,” they both stated.

“So like, what happened to you?” Reyes questioned

“Hurley, who are you talking to?” Kate asked. She then shared weird glances with Juliet and Sayid.

Rachel carried on as if nothing was interrupting them. “Blame the black smoke. Can you ask Miles something?”

“Sure.”

“Ask him if he saw my grave before or after he saw me alive by the giant statue.”

“Miles?” Hurley got his attention. “This might sound like a weird question to ask, but did you find Rachel’s grave before or after you saw her by that giant statue?”

“After?” Straume replied hesitantly, not sure if they should really be talking about this right now. But if she really was here, then he might as well say it to him directly. “I’m deeply sorry, Rachel. If I found the grave sooner, I could have said something to you when you were alive-“

“Wait, Rachel’s dead?!” Kate wanted clarification.

“Tell him It wouldn’t have mattered,” she requested Hurley. “It’s okay. I accepted that I was going to die at some point. I guess it had to be when I was twenty-five.” 

Hurley’s eyes widened. “Twenty-five?!” 

“Guys!” yelled Jin, giving them weird but serious looks. “What is going on?” Hurley and Miles glanced at each other. Too bad he couldn’t see me. I would have loved for that to happen.

She frowned. “Tell them that you’re speaking to my ghost.” 

Once he did, the Korean man began to frantically look around. “ _Leichel?! Where are you?”_ He questioned.

“That’s impossible,” Kate stated. “Ghosts aren’t real.”

“Trust me, they are,” said Hurley.

Rachel looked saddened at the mental state she just installed in her friends. “Listen. I want Miles to take all of you to my grave.”

“Rachel-“ Reyes began, but was interrupted.

She held her hand out to stop his speech. “Just listen. I don’t want our people to not know what happened to me. I wouldn’t be able to stand it if they never did. I want you to lead them to the grave once you find it and tell them how I died.”

He nodded understandingly and calmed everyone down. It didn’t take long for Miles to lead them to her grave. Soon after that, Jack and Sawyer rejoined the group. They both look like a bloody mess. Kate told them what happened while the two of them were gone with the utmost disbelief.

“This could be fake,” Jack remarked as he stared at the grave-cross. He, Hurley, Jin, Kate, Sayid, Sawyer, Juliet, and Miles all stood around it. Her body lay six feet under. 

“Oh,” said Miles. “It’s _not_ fake. I know these things.” He almost tried not to remember seeing my death and hearing my last thoughts.

“Right, I forgot that you could talk to spirits,” Juliet almost quipped. Her hands sat on her hips. She didn’t know how right she was.

“Hey,” Hurley said sternly. “This is serious. She came to me asking us to find her grave, and now we’re here.”

“Do you know who killed her?” Sayid asked. 

“A man dressed in black clothing.” Miles spoke up. “She was stabbed.” 

“What?!” A few of them wanted to see if they heard correctly. Looks of shock and confusion showed on most of them. Sawyer, however, looked pissed.

“What does this mean?” Kate wondered out loud as she stared at Rachel’s grave.

“It means that she died here alone at the hands of -- whoever that guy is!” The blonde con man gritted his teeth. “I don’t know about you guys, but I want to find this son of a bitch and gank him.”

Straume made a small clicking noise with his tongue at the roof of his mouth, wanting to correct them. “Actually she died in Richard’s arms.”

“Richard?” Juliet questioned, unsure if she heard right.

Miles nodded. “That’s correct.” He turned to Sawyer. “Besides, who says there’s a man still to gank? We don’t know if this Man in Black is even still alive.”

Juliet sighed. “We need to take care of the hydrogen bomb first.” To that, Sawyer cursed under his breath. “If we’re going to do this, we need to do it soon.”

Jack sighed. “She’s right.” That earned a scowl from Ford. “I’m sorry, but, hey, if we get this done, then Rachel would never have been killed.” They all developed looks of determination.

Seeing this, Rachel nodded to Hurley before disappearing again. 

MiB:

The Man in Black had just dealt with the research team. Well, most of them, anyway. He killed them the same way he tried to get Rachel. 

“Why?” Rachel asked as she walked up to him under the Temple wall. “You ruined a perfectly happy couple. Not to mention killing unnecessarily.”

“I was protecting the island,” he responded. He then turned towards the young lady. “You saw what they were! They were a research team!” the man paused. “Did you see how easily I corrupted them?” He smiled.

“You psychopath,” she seethed.

All he did in response was smile. The man then waved his hand around which whisked her away. In seconds, she blipped to another part of the island.

She appeared to him again in 2007. The Ajira flight had just landed on Hydra island. Smokey took Locke’s form.

“Is this your new plan… Man?” she asked him.

The Man in Black smirked. “Yep. You can try to do something about it, but you won’t be able to.”

“Try me.”

He frowned at her response, electing to ignore her as he wandered into the jungle.

Hurley 2:

The next time he encountered Rachel’s ghost, it was also 2007. He, Jack, Sun, Ben, Lapidus, and this chick called Illana were currently on the side of Jacob. All their meetings with the man only occurred through Hurley, however, as the man was killed by Ben. Richard used to be a man of faith when it came to Jacob, but now, he was questioning himself.

In all honesty, he didn’t expect to see Rachel’s ghost again, but there she was.

“Hurley,” she greeted him worriedly. They stood on the shore while the others spoke about dead Locke. “I need your help again.”

“Sure, what is it?” The large man asked, kindly.

“It’s about Richard. Please, it’s urgent. I know where to find-“

“Hurley, what’s he saying?” Jack wondered out loud. Rachel almost rolled her eyes. Unfortunately, this doctor mistook who the ghost guy was speaking with.

Hurley almost panicked and stood stiff. “Uh, what’s who saying?”

“Jacob,” the doctor stated as he walked towards us. “I saw you talking to him.”

“I’m not talking to Jacob.”

Jack frowned and shook his head. “Don’t lie to me. Please, if you know something, anything that could help us figure out-“

“It’s not Jacob, man!!” 

“Then who is it?” He expected Hurley to break.

Hugo looked towards her. Rachel’s lips pursed before she shook my head. They didn’t have the time.

“Look, man,” said Hurley as we power-walked through camp. “It doesn’t concern you!” 

Hurley saw the Spaniard carefully take out Rachel’s old sketchbook. Richard shouted, “I changed my mind!” He then flipped to the page that held the portrait of the man. “I was wrong! You said I could change my mind! You said the offer would stand! Does the offer still stand?” Nothing. “Does the offer still stand?!” He ripped the drawing from the book. “I have what you want right here!!”

Unfortunately, Hurley stepped on a twig, making Richard jump.

“What offer, dude?” Hugo questioned him. Carraway stepped closer into the clearing.

Richard stared at him in shock. “What the Hell are you doing here?” He asked him in an angered tone. “Did you follow me?”

“Rachel actually-“

Richard pointed at him. “Don’t you dare speak her name! Is this some kind of ploy?! I told you people: I don’t know anything!”

“Just,” Hurley paused. “Calm down dude.”

“Why?!” He almost lashed out.

“Tell him that I’m standing right next to him,” Rachel told the spirit-seer.

“Dude, she’s standing right next to you,” the brown haired male stated.

Ricardo looked as if he might cry. He faced his left. Luckily for him, the redhead stood there. She walked up to him and hugged the man. Hugo wondered why. After all, he couldn’t see her. Sometimes, it takes people a while.

After a while, she sighed. Letting go, the young woman turned to Hurley. “Hurley, relay this for me, will you?”

“Sure,” the big man stated.

“My death was not your fault, Ricardo. It was the Man in Black’s and no one else’s!”

“I miss you, ya’know?” The faint hint of a smile appeared on Richard’s lips.

“She knows,” Hurley answered for me.

“Listen,” she glanced at Hugo again. “You have to stay on Jacob’s side. If you don’t, we’re all going to the _actual_ Hell.” Hurley spoke the first sentence, but faltered in repeating the second. Eventually though, he told him.

“I understand, Rachel,” Richard stated, slowly opening his eyes. He searched for reasoning in the ground. The man then put the page back into the book and the book back into the bag. “I’m sorry for ever doubting. He said that if I ever changed my mind I would have to bring that drawing of him as proof.”

“Tell him it’s okay,” she told Hurley. Once he did, she moved to hug Ricardo one more time. Next, she disappeared.

The last time he encountered her ghost, he’s the Protector of the island. He was walking around when he saw her.

“Hey Hurley,” she said as she walked towards him. Sand moved under her feet.

“Oh, hey, Rach,” he said, stopping his steps. “Something out of place?”

She took a small moment then smiled. “No, I just came to check on you. A lot’s changed since I last spoke to you. Are you okay?”

He exhaled, choosing to stare at the sunset. “I will be. Thanks, Rachel.”

“Any time, Hurley.” She sat down and stared at the changing clouds.

  
  



	63. Flash-Sideways World part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we’re back to the first person POV

I woke up from my short nap on the plane. Elena was still in the seat next to me. She read a book. I glanced out the window, wondering why I had this strange feeling. Maybe it was that dream I had about that island. What even happened in that dream? Was I older? Like, 25? I can’t remember anymore.

Out of nowhere, the plane began to shake violently. I heard a loud thump behind me. Briefly checking over my shoulder, I found that someone’s luggage was flung out of the overhead compartment. Some woman yelped as the plane shook more. My blackberry, which I had stupidly left on the tray fell off. Then, nothing. 

“Sorry about that folks,” said the pilot of the plane. “That was just a pocket of rough air, nothing to worry about.” I reached down behind me to grab my phone.

Elena and I shared a look. Relief wrote itself all over our faces. 

A few minutes later, I noticed some stewardesses speaking to a man in a suit. 

“What is it?” Elena asked, following my gaze.

“Don’t know,” I answered. I stood as best I could with my seatbelt still on to try and get a better look. I saw the Iraqi guy I saw in various places of the airport walk towards the front of the plane. I faced Elena and shrugged.

Before we could get off the plane, two policemen took this blonde man and his guitar off the plane. I frowned and kept my head down as we finally walked into the airport. This was my last step at leaving my life in New Zealand behind. I knew I’d come back to visit eventually. I mean, how could I not? I have friends over there.

As we walked through the giant hallway, someone bumped into me. He didn’t look where he was going. “Dude, can you watch where you’re-” Glancing up, I found a Korean couple. Then again, I guess I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings either.

“Uh, no English,” the man said.

_ “It’s fine,” _ I told him in Korean. He gave me a weird look. 

“Rachel,” Elena called. Apparently, she had gotten a few steps ahead of me. I quickly caught up to her.

The two of us walked beside the moving walkway not exactly in a hurry. “Dude nice suitcase,” we heard a man say. Turning towards the walkway, I found a large man with long curly brown hair. “That’s Chewbacca, right?”

I smiled and nodded. “Yeah. Thanks.”

“May the Force be with you,” he said as the moving contraption made his pace faster than ours.

“And with you,” I projected.

A small chuckle escaped Elena’s lips. “Nerds,” she muttered.

I almost laughed. “Yes, why thank you, Elena. We  _ are  _ nerds.” 

She smiled and swatted at my arm. “Shush you.”

Once outside, I took out my blackberry to call my aunt. It rang for a few seconds before she answered. “Hello?”

“Hey, Auntie, it’s me, Rachel. I’m outside the airport with Elena.”

“Oh, are you?” she asked rhetorically. “Good. Well, I’m right just driving into the airport now. I’m in a silver Range Rover Sport, okay?”

“Gotcha.” I moved to hang up, but she continued the conversation.

“So how was the flight?” Her voice sounded cheery.

“It was good for the most part, but we hit this really rough patch of air at one point. I mean, the plane was shaking violently.”

“Oh no, were you scared?” I almost thought that this woman forgot that I was fifteen.

I huffed, surveying the cars and the people. “Kinda.”

“Well sit tight, okay?” 

“Is unkie there too?”

“No, he’s away on a business trip.” She then ended the call. I wondered if that was true. Mom told me once that my aunt and uncle were having marital problems.

“Watch it, lady!” someone shouted. Both of us turned our heads to find a woman in dark hair cut the cab line and got into a cab that already had a person in it. Elena and I glanced at each other again. 

My gesture asked if she saw that, to which she nodded. 

Once we got home, I crashed right into a bed. I didn’t care which one it was. I was mega tired. The small nap on the plane didn’t exactly help. Of well. I’ve never been good at falling asleep on airplanes.

I woke up not wanting to get out of bed. Just laying there and having a lazy day sounded very nice. And yet, that wasn’t going to happen today. How did I know? I’m not exactly sure to be honest. There was just this strange feeling. I’m not quite sure where it came from. Annoyed with it, I got out of bed. That’s when I realized that this wasn’t my bedroom. This was my aunt’s guest room.

The walls were plain, save for the small window behind the black metal-wired headboard. The yellowish shade was down. Stretching my arm, I reached for the beaded control-thingy that moves it up and down.

Doing so revealed light, but it also revealed the fact that the fence was only a meter away. Four paintings of singular hummingbirds stood on the wall with the window in between them. To my left side was the nightstand with the lamp. To my right was a fake plant. On the right wall hung a giant framed black and white photo of New York City. The camera angle faced downward.

The ceiling held six small lights. The bed frame stretched almost to the top. It was a canopy frame, you see, but nothing was hung on them. The bedding itself was white with brown and beige X patterns. A black and white-dotted pillow lay on the floor next to a pillow that looked similar to the bedsheets. Up against the wall with the door was the small closet and dresser.

The sound of the door opening brought me out of my confusion. Elena stood in the doorway holding a cutting board that had two plates of eggs and sausage. There were two sets of knives and forks, as well as two glasses of orange juice.

“This was the only thing I could find in the fridge that was ‘breakfast-y.’” Glancing up, she noticed my weird stare. “Are you alright? I mean, first you pass out on the road, then you crash right when we get to their house. Either you must not have slept on the plane, which is almost impossible and I know that you did, or you’re just really jet lagged.”

I smiled. “I guess I was really tired, Elena,” I told her. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to tell her how weird seeing her was. “Thanks for making breakfast.”

“You’re welcome.” She then turned to leave. “Oh, and before your aunt went to the grocery store, she told me to remind you that you can start school next week if you want.”

My eyes widened. Seriously?! “School? Already? Don’t they remember that the funeral was just a few days ago? I can’t think about school right now.”

“Oh, they remember, but at the same time, I guess they kind of forgot?” She looked as if she made herself confused. “I guess your aunt thought that a week might be enough for you to And she did say that school might distract you from, well, you know. But if you do end up going to school…” she shrugged and left.

I laid back down and huffed. Staring at the ceiling, my mind wandered back to that day. Elena and I were walking home. I entered my house and it looked absolutely wrecked, almost as if someone broke in. There was complete silence. I walked up the stairs to find my father’s study open. Walking in, I found that all of his expensive trinkets had been either broken or stolen. Wandering into my parent’s bedroom, I found my mom’s jewelry box on the floor. It was virtually empty. That was when the silence began to bug me. Running down the stairs and into the kitchen, I found my mom, dad, and little brother laying dead in pools of their own blood. That’s when I called the cops.

In my dream, I vaguely remember that I saw the bodies first then ran into the study. It wasn’t trinkets that were stolen, it was those stupid documents, or something. I don’t know, my memory of that dream is still fleeting. But why would I dream about that? It’s not like my dad was involved in any Top Secret Initiative or something.

No, that’s absurd, it was just an unlucky burglary of expensive items and my family’s lives.

A tear spilled out of my eyes.

A week later, I decided to go to school. Even though Elena flew back to New Zealand about five days ago, I still wished that she could have stayed with me. Upon getting there, I found a mix of middle school kids and high schoolers hanging out while waiting for school to officially start. Looking at the clock in the car, I found it to be 7:56 AM.

“Have fun,” my aunt told me as I stepped out.

“Bye,” I responded, slinging my bag over my shoulder. Her car soon drove away.

I sat down on a bench. A few minutes later, a girl with dark hair approached me. “Hi,” said she. “I’m Alex Rousseaux. Are you Rachel Carraway?”

I stood. “Yeah, that’s me.”

“Cool.” She handed me a sheet of paper. “This is your schedule Your locker number as well as the combo for your lock is at the bottom.” she pointed to a few words below the schedule. “We have a lot of the same classes.” she glanced at her watch. “We’ll be able to go in in about a minute.”

Once the bell rang she led me to her locker before going to her own down the hall. Then, in homeroom, I spotted a bald man in a wheelchair.

“Good morning class, your regular homeroom teacher is out today. I am your substitute Mr. Locke.” Some of them muttered good morning as they sat down. I stood by the door. The substitute glanced down at a clipboard. “We have a new student coming today.” He glanced at me. “Are you Rachel Carraway?” I nodded. He gestured towards the room. “Come in, don’t be shy. Why don’t you introduce yourself?”

“Uh, sure,” I said as I stepped to the center of the room. I awkwardly waved. “Hi, I’m Rachel Carraway, I’m new, and I’m from New Zealand.”

“Alright, Rachel, why don’t you sit next to, uh, Karl?” requested the substitute.

A brunette boy with bangs raised his hand saying, “Yeah, that’s me.”

“Hi,” I muttered as I took the desk next to him.

“Hey.” 

Glancing to my right, I found Alex sitting a couple of desks away. She smiled and waved as I sat down.

The rest of the day wasn’t all that exciting. Although, the bio teacher, Mr. Arzt yelled at a few students and got mad at the outdated lab tech. Besides that, Alex introduced me to the history teacher named Dr. Linus at lunch. How someone could get a doctorate in history is beyond me. The moment went a little like this:

Alex and I were on our way to the cafeteria when she spotted the teacher. “Oh, Dr. Linus!” she called out to him as he walked through the halls.

The man turned around and stepped towards us with a warm expression. “Oh, hi, Alex.” Not recognizing me, he asked, “Is this a new student?”

“Hi, I’m Rachel Carraway,” I said.

A faint smile appeared from his lips. “Like the character from the Great Gatsby?”

I breathed out a small laugh. “Something like that, yeah.”

His eyes squinted. “Australia or New Zealand?”

“New Zealand.”

“Oh, well it’s very nice to meet you.” We shook hands.

“Likewise.”

I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’ve seen some of these people before. Isn’t that weird? That’s weird right? I mean, I’ve never met any of these people before.

At my aunt’s house, using my cousin’s desk in her room was weird and cramped and I couldn’t exactly focus. So, I wandered into my aunt’s office which was right next to my cousin’s bedroom. Besides a wall, the two rooms are separated by a Jack and Jill style bathroom.

I remembered that the only reason a giant mirror was in the office was because when it was the guest room, there wasn’t a mirror in there. The current guest room can’t fit it, so they left it in the office. There was a small tv on the long windowsill in front of the windows. An area rug sat under a reclinable sofa and a loveseat. They both faced the desk which had a large desktop computer, the printer sat on top of a file cabinet to the left side. Various artworks lined the walls. The mirror stood next to the closet on the right side of the room. Paintings by Georgia O'Keeffe lined the wall behind the printer.

There, I found an object I didn’t think I’d see. There was a cross necklace. It was silver and not too intricately designed. It didn’t exactly look like the one my aunt had.

“Hey, auntie?” I projected through the house. 

“Yeah?” Her voice, I suspected, came from the laundry room. 

“Is this necklace yours?”

She walked over to me and took the pendant in her hands. “Well,” she sighed. “It is now. I bought it from an auction.” I just remembered that my aunt worked in Entertainment law. She has a lot of money. “These people just did this dive on a sunken island. They found the necklace in an old shipwreck. I think the ship was called the Black Rock.”

“So this belonged to a dead person?”

She frowned at my quizzical expression. “Never mind that,” she said as she took the chain from my hands and laid the necklace back onto the desk. “I’ve had it for a little while, and I guess I had it out because of your -- our family.” The word she didn’t want to say was death.

“Right,” I muttered as I settled in the chair. I soon got through my homework.

I walked into the large, uphill backyard of my aunt’s house. There was this small stretch of grass with a patio that connects to the window wall, and a waterfall feature that doubles as a hot tub. Going up stone steps, you would reach the pool deck. Lounge chairs and umbrellas lined the fence to the right. Ahead, stood the pool house. Going up more stairs around the pool house and the giant hill of ivy, you would reach the tiered garden lined with roses and lilies, a trampoline, and a failed vegetable garden that used to be a chicken coop. At the top of the hill stood a deck which also had lounge chairs. To the left of the deck stood a Royal Oak with a swing. There, one could get a good view of the city.

I swung for probably an hour or so. A nice cool breeze flew past me. The weird feeling of deja vu came back. 

  
  



	64. Flash-Sideways World part 2

It was the weekend. I had a pretty good first two weeks of school, even if a few people confused my accent with an Australian one. Alex and Karl are really good friends. They even got me to try out for the school musical. We’ll all find out who got parts in a few days. I wondered how they would get along with Elena. 

Speaking of Elena, she was coming over today. My aunt told me that she would pick her up. When I asked if I could go with her, she said—and I kid you not— “You best be doing homework, Rach, I don’t want you to fall behind.”

So, I became stuck until she came along. Once she did, I thankfully had all of my work finished. It was around noon when I heard the front door open.

“Rachel’s in the office,” my aunt notified her. I heard the woman’s feet move towards the guest room. She probably went there to drop off Elena’s things in the guest room.

“Rachel?” Elena called out in a projected voice. I stepped out of the office to hug her. 

“Hey,” I greeted warmly with a smile. “Uh, how are you?”

A small smile crept itself on her lips before it disappeared. “Honestly, I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” I checked over my shoulder, but my aunt wasn’t there. Turning back towards Elena, I asked, “Do you wanna maybe go to the deck at the top of the yard?”

She nodded. “I’d like that.”

As we headed up the steps, she said, “We all miss you over there, you know. How are _you_ doing? How’s American school?” We just passed the pool house.

“I’m doing fine, and American school is kind of weird.” We walked up to the wooden platform outlooking the city in this strange comfortable silence. Once up there, I glanced out at the other buildings. Nerves were beginning to take me over. Then, I decided, what the hell? Let’s do this. So, I turned towards her. “Hey, um, I’ve been meaning to tell you something for a while. I wish I told you this sooner, but-”

She stepped closer to me. “I have a crush on you too.”

I blinked a few times. “What?”

“You heard me.” She breathed out a laugh. “Jacob and Kaylee had a bet going on. I’ll have to tell him that he owes her money.”

I laughed. Of course they would bet on us. “What specifically did they bet on?”

Her lips pursed in thought. “Jacob bet that you would never admit it. Kaylee countered it. Jason didn’t want to take sides.”

I breathed out a smile. “I figured. I miss you guys.”

“We missed you too.” She paused, stepping even closer. “I missed you.” Elena glanced down at my lips. 

Her hands cupped my cheeks. Before I could even process everything, I felt her lips on mine. They were soft, contrasted to my chapped ones. My eyelids slowly fell closed as I kissed back, again and again, wrapping my arms around her neck. I felt the happiest I’ve ever been.

When we parted, we seemed to both be a little out of breath. I stole a glance at the city before facing her. We held hands as we walked down the steps.

I couldn’t get the feeling that something was bothering her. I squeezed her hand. “Hey, is something bothering you?”

“You didn’t see that?” her eyes adopted concern. We halted our steps.

“See what?”

Her lips began to curl downward but she spoke. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter.”

Twenty minutes later, I was in the office reading when I became distracted by the weird cross necklace. Why did I get this weird feeling about it, like I’ve seen someone wear it before?

I heard someone use the lion knocker on the front door. I sighed. My aunt was out on one of her walks around the neighborhood so I had to get it. I walked over to open the door, almost forgetting that I still had the pendant in my hands. My fingers fiddled with it unconsciously. 

A man stood there. He had brown hair, brown eyes, and slightly tan skin. The man even wore a suit. 

“Uh, hi,” said the man. “Are you Rachel Carraway?” I placed his accent as Scottish.

“That’d be me,” I said, crossing my arms and leaning against the door frame. “Who are you?”

“I’m Desmond Hume.”

“What do you want?”

His lips moved as if he was about to say something, but he paused. “Would you mind taking a walk with me?” That low key sounded creepy.

“Why would I do that?”

His palms that he previously held in front of him opened as if gesturing towards me. “Have you had any flashes? Or a strange sense of deja vu?”

“Maybe.” Briefly, I glanced at the ground. “What’s it to you?”

“Listen um…” he broke eye contact. “I was on your flight. Do you remember the weird turbulence?”

My eyes squinted, wondering where he was going with this. “Yeah?”

“Well,” he paused again. “What if we were supposed to crash?” 

I blinked a few times. “Y’know, I had a dream like that.”

His head tilted. “Did you?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Don’t remember much of it, though.”

“That’s alright.” He stepped to the side. “Why don’t we talk about it on our walk?”

The two of us walked off the front steps and out of the driveway.

“Where shall we go?” I asked.

He shrugged. “This is your neighborhood. You tell me.”

As we walked up the hill, a car came barreling down the hill. They were one of those drivers with fancy cars who don’t care about the neighborhood speed limit. I would have gotten hit if it wasn’t for Desmond. Pulled me away at the last second.

I got a flash of something: An impact, a ringing in my ears, sand. Why sand? Where’s Elena? People were screaming. Some guy got sucked into the plane’s surviving engine. Another guy ran around asking people if they had a pen.

Desmond placed a hand on my shoulder. “You alright?”

Another flash brought me to a beach. Desmond sat on a log. “You look like you’ve experienced something drastic,” he once said.

“Aside from the plane crash?” I replied with a shrug. “Yeah, I’ve got some baggage.”

“Rachel, are you okay?” His voice brought me back. I turned towards his concerned eyes.

“What was that, Desmond?” 

“Rachel, your dream, and the flashes you just had, those were real.” His arms outstretched, gesturing to the world around us. “ _This_. This isn’t real.”

My arms crossed. “What did you know about me, back in the ‘real world’ then?”

“You were the village teenager everyone looked out for. You were important to them.”

My hands placed themselves in my pockets again. “Them being?”

“Jack, Kate, Sayid, Hurley, Sawyer-“ he kept speaking, but I became distracted.

The flashes came back. People were saying things to me. “They’re letting me take this submarine back to the real world—me and Juliet.” That was Jack’s voice. We leaned against the side of a building. He had a banana in his hands.

“Rachel!!” That was Sawyer’s voice. He, Jin, Juliet, Miles, and I were in the jungle. The blonde con artist hugged me. “I thought we lost you, red.”

“Wait. Not you, Rachel,” Sayid told me in the presence of Rousseau, Kate, John, and Mikhail. I remembered asking why. “Because this put you in danger and you don’t have the proper means to defend yourself.”

“What?” I asked Kate in the beginning. She told me she was sorry about my family’s death and I chuckled. “Someone always says that in the movies.” We walked through the jungle on our way to the caves. I had a sprained ankle.

Kate responded, “While true, you can’t exactly base your expectations on movies.”

“Whoa, do you guys hear how clear that is?” Hurley asked Sayid and me. We listened to a make-shift radio. “It’s gotta be close right?” Sayid responded with some sciency things that ultimately meant that the signal could be coming from anywhere. “Or anytime.” Hurley joked.

Glancing at the ground, I found the pendant laying there. I picked it up. A flash brought me, Richard. I remembered first seeing him in the jungle. He showed me my grave. I remembered going back in time to before he arrived. I remembered going through happy and sad times. I remembered dying in his arms. I remembered everything that happened on that stupid island.

I wiped away a tear, saying, “Thank you, Desmond.”

His lips formed a thin-lined smile. “Of course, Rachel.” He then handed me a piece of paper. “When you’re ready, do you think you could come to this address?”

“Sure,” I said, taking the paper. “I guess I’ll see you there?”

“Definitely,” Desmond said as he walked back into his car. I watched him drive away before going back inside.

Elena waited for me by the door. “I remember now,” I told her before embracing her tightly. I soon broke it, handing the piece of paper to her. “Desmond told us to go here when we’re ready.”

I looked up the address. It’s a church. I guess I should wear something nice when I go over there. I smiled to myself as I put Richard’s wife’s pendant on. I wondered if I would be able to find him here, though I doubt it. He was immortal after all. From the window, I saw my aunt’s car. If I sat in the driver’s seat, would I know how to drive it? I mean, I only really know how to drive a van, but I guess I could try. Or maybe I’ll just take the bus or a cab or something. That might be easier. 

One question still weighed heavily on my mind. If Jacob died, then would Ricardo's immortality go away? If so, then where the hell was he?


	65. Flash-Sideways World part 3

Going back to school on Monday was weird for me. I remembered Karl and Alex dying so vividly, but I felt as if I had to keep pretending everything was fine. It worked for a little while. Then they noticed that something was actually wrong. I saw it in how they looked at me, almost as if they wanted to ask a question. It was probably due to all the moping I was doing. They asked when they saw me exit the school. Musical rehearsals and the History Club both end around the same time.

As I walked outside, the two of them seemed to be sitting on a bench. I walked towards them and sat down. My aunt’s car wouldn’t be here for the next ten minutes.

“So,” Karl began awkwardly. He sat on the arm of the bench with his legs dangling on the side and his arms crossed. “What’s going on with you?”

“Nothing much,” I decided to tell them. I paused before facing my two classmates. “Did I ever tell you why I moved to America to live with my aunt?”

Alex and Karl shared a glance, shaking their heads.

“I…” Am I really going to hide under my grief for my family? I guess I am. “My family was murdered in a break-in. They stole all kinds of things. I didn’t have any other family there, so I came here.”

“Oh,” said Alex in a downbeat tone. “I’m sorry, we didn’t know-“

“It’s fine.” The honk of a car made us all look in front of us. My aunt had arrived. “Bye guys,” I said as I slung my bag over my shoulder and walked away.

I don’t think I could have told them about the reality in which we all died. That might have been too much for them. They’ll have to find it on their own.

Attending Linus’ clases were even stranger since I remembered what a manipulator he was. But I guess he could be redeemed since he helped Alex get that scholarship. Seeing Locke in a wheelchair became weird as well. He always walked on the island. I don’t exactly know why Desmond ran Locke over with his car, but it happened, and Ben accompanied Locke to the hospital.

I still had no idea where Richard was. Not to mention what this _place_ was. 

On Friday, Elena and I walked down Ventura when I spotted Sawyer and Miles. They were cops, standing outside their car eating bagels from Western Bagels. How weird is that? Not the bagels, but them being cops. Sawyer _was_ a con man, after all. Plus, I’m pretty sure Miles used to con people with his ability.

I also may or may not have bumped into Miles accidentally. This was a small effort to see if I could get him to remember, mind you.

“Hey, watch it!” Miles yelled at me. When I faced him to apologize, I noticed his expression changed.

My brows creased. “Are you okay, man? You look like you’re seeing a ghost.” While he didn’t have the same kind of peer that Hurley and I had, this man did have something similar.

He snapped out of it. “Sorry, you just looked a little familiar.”

I shrugged and rejoined Elena. She leaned closer to me, asking in a whisper, “Was that really necessary?”

In a low voice, I responded, “We’ll see.”

Later in the week, Alex invited me to go to the beach with her and Karl. I decided to bring Elena. To my surprise—although I guess I shouldn’t have been—Danielle seemed like a really good mother. We all had a great time at the beach, sure we had to go up and over a mountain by road and highway, but it was still worth it. And as it turns out, they like Elena.

While there, I saw Hurley and Libby having a picnic. It made me smile. They were having the picnic date they never got to have. I guess they found each other again. 

When we got home, Elena and I sat on the couch. “Hey, Rachel?” she asked from one end. She sat with her legs crossed, reading a book. I sat across from her, also reading.

“Yeah?” I asked, as I glanced up. 

“You remember dying, right?”

I nodded, unsure of where this was going. “Yeah, what about it?”

“So, this can’t possibly be an alternate universe. It’s just a place we were put. What if your friend Richard also died, but he was happy with it, so he didn’t end up here?”

My mouth clicked open, ready for me to respond, but I never didn’t. Not yet. My brows creased in thought. “So, what? We all ended up here so that we could change something in our lives?”

She shrugged. “This is probably going to bug the both of us for a while, but just think on it, yeah?”

I nodded. “Sure.”

Just think about it. 

I did, for about three full days. Then it made sense. Of course it does. Sure, in life I may have left him in shambles, but maybe he rebuilt himself without me. Maybe he even made it off the island once Jacob died— _if_ he died. 

Was it weird to almost feel jealous of him? I’m not exactly sure, but maybe it was. Perhaps it wasn’t. 

Elena and I agreed that we would head to the church tomorrow, even though my aunt had received three tickets to this concert thing. As much as I wanted to hear how classical music and rock music could combine, I declined my aunt’s offer. Elena soon followed suit. We told her that the two of us had plans. 

“And what plans would those be?” my aunt asked with genuine interest.

“There’s a venue at this church,” I told her. “We’re going for a friend.”

She frowned. “Oh, well, you could have told me that someone died.”

Elena and I smiled. I glanced down at the floor briefly. Then, an idea struck me. “Would you mind giving us a ride?”

The older woman swatted at the air. “Oh, of course, dears.”

Once we arrived, we found the parking lot virtually empty. “Oh, I guess you’re the first ones to arrive,” my aunt remarked. “Would you like to stay in the car and wait for other people to arrive?”

Elena and I shared a glance before she told her, “Uh, no, Mrs. Perry, that won’t be necessary. We’ll be fine.”

“Alright, if you say so. Call me when you want to be picked up, okay?”

“Got it,” I said as I stepped out of the car. My dark-haired friend soon followed. We watched my aunt drive off before we entered the church.

Inside, we realized that no one else was in there, so we decided to look around. There wasn’t much that set it off from any other church, really, though it was large. Way larger than the one Eko and Charlie attempted to make, in fact. I did find a DHARMA logo, however. It was extremely faded, but it was there. It made me frown.

“Well, ain’t that interesting,” remarked a familiar voice. Turning around, I found my father in a suit.

My brows creased and my eyes filled with concern. “What are you doing here?”

“What, we can’t see you before you go?” My mother appeared to me. She stepped closer to me. “You look beautiful.”

I half smiled. “Uh, thanks.”

“So, when do you think everyone else will get here?” My dad asked me. His tone almost suggested that it was in kidding. “This is a world you all created to find each other after death.”

Oh, so that’s what this is. “I’m not sure,” I told them. “But I guess they’ll all come trickling in eventually.” 

“Well, anyway, we’re proud of you, and we love you,” he told me as his arms embraced me. I smiled into it, closing my eyes because I didn’t want them to go. Soon, mom joined in.

“Goodbye guys, I love you too.” When I opened my eyes, I realized that they were no longer there. I exhaled as I spotted Elena in the corner of the room.

“Let’s go back to the Nave, yeah?” she asked, putting her arms around me.

“Yeah.”

We sat there and waited. Pretty soon, they all came in. Weirdly enough, it was in pairs. But once everyone arrived, I got to say hello to everyone and introduce them to Elena. I finally got to meet Penny, and Locke’s fiancé. Desmond, Rose, Bernard, Hugo, Libby, Jin, Sun, Sayid, Locke, Sawyer, Juliet, Claire, Aaron, Charlie, Shannon, Boone, Kate, and Jack were also there. I hugged most of them.

The only ones who weren’t were the other tailies, the other Others, the research team, and Richard. Either they all need to find each other before they’re ready, or they already moved on.

Once we were ready, this man, who I’m pretty sure was Jack’s father, opened the church doors. A bright white light surrounded us all. Just like that, we moved on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And... the end.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading, leaving kudos and comments!


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